Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca responds to Josh Acheampong transfer talk amid interest from Newcastle, Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund
Enzo Maresca says Josh Acheampong is not for sale, despite Borussia Dortmund and others being interested in Chelsea 's 19-year-old academy graduate.
Maresca spoke on Acheampong amid the rumours ahead of their Club World Cup last-16 clash with Benfica in Charlotte.
Asked for his stance on Acheampong, with Newcastle and Tottenham among their rivals apparently interested in snapping up the teenager, the Blues boss said: 'The clubs that you mentioned, they like Josh, but we also like Josh.
'Good players, any club likes good players.
'My plan with Josh is quite clear. He potentially can be a top defender for this club. It's on him to have the right timing to do the things.
'We are full of young players here, full of talented players, even defenders.
'So I think the best plan for Josh is to be with us and I'm very happy if he's going to be with us.'
Acheampong played the full 90 minutes in Chelsea's last Club World Cup win over ES Tunis in Philadelphia.
Another one from the Cobham production line, he can play as a full back on either side and also at centre back, though has no preference over his position, so long as he gets to play.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
18 minutes ago
- Reuters
Caps sign newly acquired F Justin Sourdif to 2-year deal
June 28 - The Washington Capitals signed recently acquired forward Justin Sourdif to a two-year, $1.65 million contract on Saturday. The Capitals acquired Sourdif in a trade with the Florida Panthers on Thursday in exchange for a second-round draft pick in 2026 and a sixth-rounder in 2027. The 23-year-old played in one game for the Stanley Cup champions in 2024-25, scoring a goal in a 4-1 win at Nashville on Feb. 25. Sourdif recorded 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) in 43 games with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League. He added 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 18 playoff games for the Calder Cup runner-up. The British Columbia native appeared in four games over the past two seasons with the Panthers, who drafted him in the third round in 2020. --Field Level Media
Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Kansas City Chiefs stun Missouri lawmakers with shock request
The Kansas City Chiefs have requested an extension to an end-of-June deadline for a stadium financing package from the state of Kansas, a move that has shocked Missouri lawmakers. That is because it is an indication that the NFL franchise's potential move across the state line from Missouri is a legitimate possibility. Chiefs president Mark Donovan requested the extension Thursday in a letter to Kansas Senate president Ty Masterson. Donovan explained that the Chiefs have made 'significant progress' on plans for a new stadium development but that more time is needed to 'bring the effort to full fruition.' The Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council is scheduled to meet July 7 to consider extending the incentive deadline. 'The letter from Mark Donovan indicates that the drive to bring this historic project to Kansas is moving down the field,' Masterson said in a statement. 'Now that we are in the red zone, this extension will provide stakeholders sufficient time to ensure the ball crosses the goal line.' The Chiefs and Royals have played for more than five decades at the Truman Sports Complex on the east side of Kansas City, Missouri, where Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium share parking facilities. But leases with Jackson County are due to expire in January 2031, and the two franchises have been trying to plot a course forward for years. Donovan indicated in his letter to Masterson that Kansas remains an enticing option. 'Together we have the opportunity to bring the National Football League to Kansas, anchored by a world-class domed stadium, new team headquarters, a state-of-the-art practice facility, and a vibrant mixed-use and entertainment district,' Donovan wrote. Last year, Jackson County voters defeated a sales tax extension that would have helped to finance an $800million renovation of Arrowhead Stadium - the home of the Chiefs - and a $2billion ballpark district for the Royals in downtown Kansas City. While local and state officials in Missouri were considering another a stadium financing package, lawmakers in Kansas quickly and aggressively authorized bonds for up to 70 per cent of the cost of new stadiums to be built in their state. Many believed the Chiefs and Royals would use the Kansas offer as leverage for a better deal from Missouri - including Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas, who acknowledged that 'the teams are in an exceptional leverage position.' Finally, earlier this month, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers into a special session to approve a stadium financing deal that included disaster relief for the St. Louis area, where a series of devastating tornadoes caused widespread damage. The legislation authorizes bonds covering up to 50 per cent of the cost of new or renovated stadiums in Missouri, plus up to $50m of tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments. The prevailing belief was that the package would be enough to keep the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, where they have floated plans for a $1.15bn renovation, and perhaps hold onto the Royals, who are still interested in building downtown. Yet news surfaced about a month ago that an affiliate of the Royals purchased the mortgage on a large property in the southern Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, raising the possibility of building a new stadium and ballpark district there. And the letter from Donovan requesting an extension in Kansas indicates the Chiefs also are serious about switching states. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt has long professed his affinity for Arrowhead Stadium, which was built by his father and team founder Lamar Hunt. But he also is keenly aware of the revenue streams available by building a new domed stadium, including the chance to host the Super Bowl, the Final Four and other marquee sporting events. It is unclear where the Chiefs would build in Kansas, but one possibility is the juncture of Interstates 435 and 70 in Kansas City, Kansas. That's the site of Kansas Speedway, a mixed residential and commercial district called The Legends, the home stadiums of MLS club Sporting Kansas City and the Kansas City Monarchs minor league baseball club, as well as a casino, hotels, a major soccer training center and the infrastructure necessary to support a domed football stadium. 'We are excited about the potential for this project, which would represent the largest economic development initiative in the state's history,' Donovan wrote in his letter Thursday. 'Just as important, the presence of an NFL franchise in (Kansas) will serve as a powerful engine for immediate and long term-growth - driving national attention, sustained tourism, and billions more in private development across the state.'
Reuters
28 minutes ago
- Reuters
Tennis–Cautious Gauff targets Channel Slam at Wimbledon, 10 years after Serena Williams
June 28 (Reuters) - Second seed Coco Gauff is chasing a rare Channel Slam at Wimbledon after lifting her maiden French Open title, the American said on Saturday, though she is keeping expectations in check as she adapts to the quick transition from clay to grass. The last woman to achieve the Channel Slam -- winning Wimbledon and the French Open in the same year -- was Serena Williams, who accomplished the feat in 2002 and again in 2015. The 21-year-old Gauff, who became the first American woman since Williams in 2015 to win at Roland Garros, is not putting too much pressure on herself though, having never made it past the fourth round at Wimbledon. Gauff played only in Berlin in the run-up to Wimbledon, where she was stunned by China's Wang Xinyu in the round of 16. "I understand why it (a Channel Slam) hasn't been done that often. Except I guess Carlos (Alcaraz), he makes it look pretty easy. Novak (Djokovic), too. I didn't realise it was 10 years since Serena," Gauff told reporters. "I would love to do that. Also, I'm not going to put that much pressure on myself because I've been telling my team and people around me, this is all new territory for me. "I'm trying to take it as I go. If I were to end up there, it would be great. If not, I'll try to come up with a better way to prepare for this tournament next year." While Gauff's athleticism and baseline power have taken her deep on hard and clay courts, her game has yet to fully click on grass, where the low bounce and quick pace often disrupt players' rhythm and court coverage. Asked what she would focus on to strengthen her game on the surface, Gauff said, "For sure movement. It's obviously a lot different than clay. Just keeping the ball lower." "And then serve, I want to be pretty aggressive with the serve here just because it's grass." Gauff will face Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska in her opening match on Tuesday.
