Chelsea are having a great season, putting themselves firmly in the Premier League title picture and also flying in the Europa Conference League.

The Blues boast one of the youngest squads in the Premier League, with an average age of just under 24.

In addition, Chelsea have some great academy gems coming through, which fans have been able to see plenty of in the Europa Conference League.

One such player is Josh Acheampong, an 18-year-old defender who Chelsea fans have backed for a bright future at Stamford Bridge.

Acheampong was frozen out at Chelsea for a few months due to stalling contract talks, but he has since penned a new deal with the Blues.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca gave his verdict on Acheampong ahead of the Blues’ European meeting with Shamrock Rovers at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Maresca backs Josh Acheampong to become ‘great player’ for Chelsea

Maresca told reporters at his pre-match press conference that Acheampong “really impressed” him in When asked how pleased he was that the youngster has penned a new contract at Stamford Bridge, Maresca said: “Very, very happy.

“Josh has been quite clear, he was with us in pre-season. I didn’t know him personally, but after two or three days that he was there with us, he really impressed me.

“Since the pre-season I was trying to understand a little bit the situation with him in terms of contract and these kind of things.

“Now finally the club found an agreement with him and we are all happy because we are all convinced and sure that Josh can be a great player for this club.

What Maresca has said about Acheampong’s immediate future

Premier League youngsters often build experience by going out on loan, but Maresca isn’t planning this with Acheampong.

“My personal opinion is that he has to stay close to us,” said the Chelsea boss. “So as much as we can keep him here, it’s much better.”

Acheampong made his full Chelsea debut in the Europa Conference League victory over Astana in Kazakhstan.

He was also named among the substitutes for the Blues’ victory over Brentford on Sunday, so it’s clear that he’s in the first-team picture already.

Liverpool intend to ‘raid’ Championship high-flyers Sunderland for the signature of 18-year-old academy talent Trey Ogunsuyi, according to reports.

Clubs increasingly want players from a young age and develop them in-house, rather than go into the top of the transfer market for established stars.

As well as identifying local talent that includes poaching academy players from other clubs. To that end, the pearl of Liverpool’s academy is Trey Nyoni, a player brought in from Leicester City at the age of 16. But they certainly aren’t alone in that tactic, with Manchester United notably snapping up prolific prospect Chido Obi-Martin from Arsenal earlier this year.

The Daily Mail writes that the Reds are now monitoring versatile forward Ogunsuyi, who has scored five goals in five appearances at Premier League 2 so far this season, playing with and against players up to several years older.

And while the Belgium junior international is yet to make a senior debut for Sunderland, the youngster has been named on the bench by Regis Le Bris three times.

Sunderland is a club where young players are currently thriving. The Black Cats are aiming to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 and are doing it with a raw but talented squad – four of their five most used players so far this season are aged 23 or younger. Of those, two are 19-year-old Jobe Bellingham and 17-year-old Chris Rigg.

Liverpool’s own crop of youngsters also have plenty of promise. Jurgen Klopp famously relied on them during last season’s triumphant Carabao Cup run, although the aforementioned Nyoni is the only teenage to have accrued any first-team minutes so far under Arne Slot.

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has seen his future become a hot topic over the last few months with the 26-year-old’s contract running out at the end of the season. The Reds are yet to agree a new contract with the right-back and Real Madrid are rumoured to be particularly interested in signing the Englishman.

It would be a huge blow for Liverpool to lose their local talisman and vice-captain but a replacement may have to be lined up if he were to leave, despite Conor Bradley’s performances proving he has the potential to take over from Alexander-Arnold.

Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has said that one potential replacement for Alexander-Arnold has been ruled out by Arne Slot.

Liverpool not interested in signing Jeremie Frimpong to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold

Plettenberg said via X: “Liverpool are impressed by Jeremie Frimpong’s development and performances at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

“However, the 24-year-old right wing-back is currently not a concrete transfer target for the summer, primarily because Arne Slot prefers a traditional right-back in a back four, and Frimpong’s role does not currently fit into LFC’s system.”

Frimpong, who ranked at no.2 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best right-backs in the world right now, has excelled since joining Bayer Leverkusen from Celtic in 2021.

The Dutch wing-back started his youth career at Manchester City but rose to prominence after scoring 14 times in 47 games during Leverkusen’s historic invincible league title win last season.

Under ex-Liverpool player Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen play a 3-4-3 system that gives wing-backs Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo an attacking license.

However, under Arne Slot, Liverpool play with a back four, and whilst Trent Alexander-Arnold’s influence in the Liverpool side is clear, his creative numbers have declined since Slot joined.

As Plettenberg suggests Frimpong would therefore be less suited to Liverpool’s system, but the fullback has also been linked with Manchester United and Manchester City.

Ruben Amorim has introduced a back-three to Manchester United this season suggesting Old Trafford would be an appropriate destination for Frimpong, whilst a return to Manchester City could also be on the cards given the recent decline in Kyle Walker’s form.