Josh Acheampong has been training with Chelsea's first-team group ahead of a trip to Heidenheim after being frozen out for a period.
The teenager is incredibly highly-rated by the Blues but was yet to sign a new deal in west London and, as a result, the 18-year-old was shunned. Acheampong was told he wouldn't play for the club again until he put pen to paper on a new contract.
His deal was due to expire in 2026 but the youngster has now been seen with the first team in what is perhaps the biggest hint yet that he's chosen to remain with the Blues. No official announcement has been made, but Chelsea had been firm in their stance that he would be overlooked whilst talks dragged on, especially with the January transfer window closing in.
Acheampong was included on the Blues pre-season tour after rising through the ranks at Stamford Bridge but had not been included in the first-team squad for a number of weeks. The defender was not even being considered for selection by the development team.
Maresca previously admitted he was regretful that Acheampong was missing out on games, but Chelsea chose to take a stand regarding their young talent as top clubs circled.
“To be honest, I feel a bit of shame for Josh because I think this kind of games can be an opportunity for him. I had a chat with him, personally, about three weeks ago; about his situation and the chat we had was a very good chat, a positive chat but since that moment I haven’t spoken to him again.
”As I said, it’s a shame. I think Josh potentially can become a top player. He is still 18, so still very young, so many things can change for him, but he can potentially be (a) very important thing for Chelsea. It’s so important for the club that our intention is not to lose him. The first thing we need to do is to find a solution for his future."
Acheampong has featured just once under Maresca this season, playing 27 minutes in their 5-0 win over League Two outfit Barrow in the Carabao Cup. Chelsea, after years of neglecting their young talent, have now shown that they will promote from within.
Certain areas of their squad are congested following a period of heavy recruitment, which has seen the size of their team grow considerably. Reece James though is an example of an academy graduate becoming a regular whilst the likes of Mason Mount also did so in the past.