Chelsea have allegedly made progress in their efforts to extend the contract of Josh Acheampong.
Having made his debut for the first team under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino in May, the 18-year-old is viewed as a top prospect at Stamford Bridge.
However, Acheampong's development at the West Londoners has been temporarily halted due to failing to agree terms over an extension to his current deal.
The teenager had been in line to earn regular appearances in the EFL Cup and Conference League until club officials enforced a ban on his participation in competitive games.
That has led to a period of frustration for all concerned, while also creating encouragement elsewhere with Acheampong known to have widespread admirers across Europe.
Nevertheless, it appears that Chelsea may now be on the right track to keeping the starlet at the club in the long term.
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Acheampong progress being made?
According to football.london, further negotiations have been taking place behind the scenes in a bid to resolve the situation.
Although no new contract is close to being penned, it is claimed that positive talks have been held and there is an acceptance on all sides that finalising terms may take time.
Earlier this week, Acheampong made a surprise appearance in first-team training, while he was also named in the squad for the Under-21 fixture against Derby County on Friday night.
Acheampong came off the substitutes' bench in the 68th minute as Chelsea recorded a 6-2 victory over the young Rams in Premier League 2.
Based on those two developments, there is every sign that Acheampong is ready to commit his future to Chelsea.
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Major boost for Chelsea?
Having only featured for 32 minutes in the first team, it is imperative that a solution is found for Acheampong to fulfil his potential.
Chelsea already have Reece James and Malo Gusto as their standout options at right-back, yet the injury issues of the former essentially mean that there could be a vacancy in the position going forward.
Despite an array of young players moving to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will also recognise the importance of having homegrown talent in their senior ranks.
Of the current crop, Acheampong and Tyrique George are seemingly best placed to have a long-term impact in Enzo Maresca's squad.
Darren Plant
