Seven months ago, Josh Acheampong seemed primed to become the next Chelsea talent to step off the production line at Cobham as he made his senior debut for the club three days shy of his 18th birthday. Now, his future with his boyhood club seems far less certain.
The versatile defender is the latest prodigious right-back that the Blues' famed academy has produced in recent years, following in the footsteps of Reece James, Tino Livramento and Tariq Lamptey.
But while the club will hope he follows the same trajectory as club captain James, uncertainty around his future means he could end up following the latter two through the Stamford Bridge exit after just three senior appearances as Chelsea's European rivals circle.
Article continues below