Chelsea have frozen English right-back and Liverpool target Josh Acheampong out of their first-team and under-21s until he signs a new contract, according to The Athletic.
The 18-year-old has not been named in the matchday squad of the first-team since featuring as a substitute against Barrow in the Carabao Cup on September 24, while he last played for the Blues Under-21s on September 15 despite starting four of their opening five games this season.
Acheampong is out of contract at the end of 2025-26, and Liverpool are one of the clubs monitoring his situation having identified him as a potential target should they lose Trent Alexander-Arnold at the end of the current campaign.
The Reds watched him in action for England under-20s in their 2-1 win over Italy and in the 3-0 home victory over the Czech Republic during the international break earlier this month, while Real Madrid scouted him too and are keen on recruiting his services ahead of the January transfer window following an injury to Dani Carvajal.
Liverpool and the La Liga club are not the only ones keen on him, with Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain all interested in the versatile Chelsea academy graduate.
While he played during the international break, Acheampong’s name was not on the teamsheet for their Premier League Cup match at Bournemouth on Monday night, and he has now gone nearly a full month without representing Chelsea at any level.
The situation is not expected to change as long as the contract talks keep stalling, and that could be good news for Liverpool.
Madrid could come calling for Acheampong in January, and getting a deal done for him will see them opt against going after Alexander-Arnold next summer.
The teenage sensation can also play as a centre-back, and he will not be short of suitors in January if his situation at the Stamford Bridge club has not changed before then.
