A report by The Guardian has claimed that Chelsea have turned down an approach from Crystal Palace, and they have no intention of letting Josh Acheampong leave the club this month. The Eagles were hoping to sign him on loan until the end of the season.
Crystal Palace have sanctioned Marc Guehi’s departure in the winter transfer window, and they need to add more quality and depth to their defensive unit. The 19-year-old could have been a useful acquisition for them. The youngster is a talented player with significant potential, and he could develop into a top-quality defender with the right guidance.
Josh Acheampong is highly rated at Chelsea, and the Blues have no plans to let him leave anytime soon, as was their stance in the summer transfer window. Meanwhile, Chelsea lack depth in their defensive unit.
Chelsea have had multiple injury problems at the back, and it is no surprise that they want to keep the 19-year-old at the club. It will be interesting to see if they can offer him sample game time over the next few months. The young defender will need to play more often at this stage of his career. Sitting on the bench at Chelsea will not benefit him.
Moving to Crystal Palace could have been an interesting opportunity for him. They might be able to provide him with more game time compared to Chelsea. It remains to be seen how the situation develops.
Crystal Palace have been quite poor in recent weeks, and they need to improve their defensive performance. They should move on from the Chelsea wonderkid and consider other targets now. The winter transfer window closes later today, and the Eagles must do everything in their power to improve the teamif they want to finish the season strongly.
On the other hand, Chelsea are pushing for UEFA Champions League qualification, and they need more depth than quality in the team. Keeping the 19-year-old defensive prospect at Stamford Bridge could prove to be a wise decision.
