Arsenal monitor Chelsea 20yo they want to keep

Arsenal monitor Chelsea 20yo they want to keep Arsenal are monitoring Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong with a view to signing him, though the Blues are keen to extend his contract. Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images Simon Phillips reports on The SPTC Podcast that Chelsea’s Josh Acheampong is drawing interest from around the world, with Arsenal the latest club to begin monitoring with a view to signing him. The Gunners are reportedly very interested, though Chelsea view him as ‘unsellable’. But Phillips clarifies that this doesn’t actually mean the player won’t be sold, just that he’s viewed as very important and would be very expensive. Chelsea are still hoping to give the player a new contract, extending his current deal that lasts to 2029. They’ve also tried to show him that they trust him with his minutes this season. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Acheampong was very much in and out of the Chelsea team last season, which is perhaps behind his camp’s openness to consider outside interest in recent months. But the 20-year-old defender has made eight appearances in Chelsea’s nine games so far in 2026/27, starting both League Cup matches and four of Chelsea’s seven Premier League fixtures. He’s clearly still not a nailed-on starter, sitting on the bench for the game against Hull City last month, before being used as a substitute against Brentford. But he’s in the lineup at the moment at right-back, with Reece James’ latest injury creating a new opening in the team. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Arsenal never seem to be completely out of the market for defenders, even when the squad is dripping with them. Mikel Arteta arguably has two players for every position in the back four, without even including the likes of 17-year-old Marli Salmon or versatile midfielder-turned-left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly . But that won’t stop the club looking at any market opportunities like Acheampong. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images