CHELSEA LABELS 19-YEAR-OLD JOSH ACHEAMPONG "NOT FOR SALE" DESPITE LIMITED 2026 MINUTES
Josh Acheampong stays! Get the latest on Chelsea’s transfer stance, Enzo Maresca’s praise, and the Man City clash.
Chelsea doesn’t want to let Josh Acheampong go, even though he hasn’t played much this season. The club sees him as a big part of their plans, despite rumours that Bayern Munich are interested.
The people running Chelsea haven’t budged. They’ve made it clear – they’re not open to selling Acheampong for good, even if he’s only on the edge of the first team right now. Over the summer and winter transfer windows, plenty of clubs showed interest, but Chelsea considered him “non-transferable,” according to the Daily Express. Sure, the 19-year-old England Under-21 defender hasn’t cracked the starting lineup often since January. And yes, Chelsea’s defence hasn’t exactly covered themselves in glory lately. Still, the top brass believe Acheampong has too much upside to let go for a quick payday.
There’s a weird contrast between the hype around Acheampong and what’s actually played out on the pitch. Former manager Enzo Maresca seemed absolutely smitten with him after Acheampong put on a show against Legia Warsaw in April 2025. Maresca didn’t hide his feelings, calling him a future star for Chelsea and beyond. What stood out for Maresca was how Acheampong could slot into almost any defensive role, full-back, midfield, or center-back and handle it.
Clubs like Bayern and Crystal Palace have both tried to snap him up, only to get turned away. Palace saw him as a natural replacement for Marc Guehi, Bayern wanted more depth; neither got their wish. Chelsea’s decision-makers keep thinking back to those moments, like how Acheampong went toe-to-toe with world-class forwards, or that huge performance against Liverpool and his goal against Nottingham Forest. In their eyes, those flashes matter more than the short spell on the sidelines under Liam Rosenior.
The road ahead isn’t exactly clear for Acheampong. With Chelsea reportedly chasing an experienced centre-back after missing out on Jeremy Jacquet to Liverpool, and Reece James and Malo Gusto set on the right, his ability to play multiple roles might be the only way he forces himself back into the lineup.
Right now, Chelsea sit sixth in the Premier League with a big game against Manchester City on Sunday. Acheampong is likely to make the squad, but since January, he’s only played six league matches. Even so, the club just isn’t ready to let him go.
XAVI OPENLY DECLARES INTEREST IN CHELSEA JOB DURING PERMANENT MANAGER SEARCH
With Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola on the shortlist, explore why Xavi Hernández wants to take over the Chelsea hotseat next.
Xavi has openly said he’d love to manage Chelsea, and now the Blues are hunting for someone to replace Liam Rosenior.
Rosenior got the sack last month after a rough patch just three months into his huge contract that was supposed to last six and a half years. Calum McFarlane is filling in as interim head coach until season’s end, but Chelsea are actively looking for a permanent boss for the 2026/27 campaign.
They're considering some big names. Xabi Alonso’s been mentioned; he’s been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January. Andoni Iraola, who’s about to leave Bournemouth, is also on the shortlist.
Cesc Fabregas has been linked after his strong run at Como, and Frank Lampard’s in the mix too, fresh off winning the Championship with Coventry and securing promotion.
But Xavi really stands out. He’s already made it clear he’s interested in the Chelsea job. Back in 2019, before his Barcelona return, he said, “I don’t hide it; my goal is to come back to Europe and to Barca. It's my challenge, but I’m enjoying this current project. For me, training a team in Barcelona would be a privilege, the biggest privilege.”
He didn’t just talk about Spain either. “Honestly, who doesn’t love the Premier League? The atmosphere, packed stadiums, everyone says it’s incredible,” Xavi admitted. “If I had to pick, I’d go for a big team: City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Tottenham. Klopp, Pochettino, and Unai Emery are doing amazing work there.”
After returning to Barcelona in 2021, Xavi led them to a La Liga title and the Supercopa de España before Hansi Flick took over in 2024. He’s been out of work since.
Now, Chelsea seems seriously interested in the Spaniard. According to The i, the club wants someone who can embed a strong football identity across their teams, something Enzo Maresca started.
Getting Xavi won’t be easy, though. Morocco’s national team reportedly sees him as a top candidate to replace Walid Regragui, and Manchester United is eyeing him too as they weigh options beyond Michael Carrick.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso is the bookmakers’ favourite for the Chelsea role, but word is he’d want more control over club decisions if he moves to west London.
COLE PALMER MISSES PENALTY AS CHELSEA SUFFER HISTORIC SIXTH CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE DEFEAT
Chelsea matched a 1912 record with their 6th straight loss, falling 3-1 to Forest as Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice at the Bridge.
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Chelsea hit rock bottom again, losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. That’s six Premier League defeats in a row now, something the club hadn’t seen since 1912. Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse, Forest showed up with a makeshift lineup and absolutely stunned them. Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice, one barely a minute into the match, and then Igor Jesus put away a penalty, and suddenly Forest was six points clear of the drop zone.
Chelsea hadn’t scored in five games, and it looked like that streak would go on forever. Then, in stoppage time, Joao Pedro finally managed an overhead kick to break the drought. That run was made even more ridiculous earlier when Cole Palmer missed a first-half penalty. Matz Sels, Forest’s backup goalkeeper, saved it.
Honestly, the crowd in the Shed End probably barely recognised their own team. Pereira swapped in seven new outfield players, most of them with almost no league experience; he was clearly thinking about the upcoming Europa League semi-final. But it looked like Chelsea was the stranger out there.
Things only got worse for interim head coach Calum McFarlane. He lost Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho to late injuries, so 18-year-old Jesse Derry had to make his Premier League debut. Then, late in the first half, Derry collided heads with Forest’s Zach Abbott and had to be stretchered off after getting oxygen. It was brutal to watch.
The match itself? Chaos. Less than two minutes in, Chelsea messed up their own throw-in and let Forest stroll through midfield. Dilane Bakwa beat Marc Cucurella with little effort and crossed to Awoniyi, who was completely unmarked and headed it in.
Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea conceded again. Bakwa whipped in another cross; Malo Gusto pulled Awoniyi’s shirt, and VAR handed Forest a penalty. Jesus hammered it right down the middle.
The first half was hopeless, and by the end, serious concern set in after that nasty head clash between Derry and Abbott. Abbott, playing just his second league game, left on his own, but Derry needed serious treatment and was stretchered off.
After a nearly ten-minute stoppage, Palmer’s penalty was stopped by Sels. At halftime, Levi Colwill returned from a major injury he hadn’t played since tearing his ACL in August. He tried to restore order, but nothing changed.
Forest’s third goal came just seven minutes into the second half. Gibbs-White crossed, and Awoniyi tapped in from close range, just managing to stay onside. Chelsea’s keeper, Robert Sanchez, took a knock and left with a bandaged head after colliding with Gibbs-White.
Pedro’s late goal barely counted for anything. The few Chelsea fans left in the stadium cheered, but it was more out of irony than joy.
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