Chelsea defender Levi Colwill enjoyed an incredible journey from academy prospect to first-team star. Now, we actually think one current Blues youngster could follow in his footsteps.
Levi Colwill, 22, started out in the Chelsea academy as a highly-rated talent, which makes his rise in recent years even sweeter.
The left-footed centre-back, who was 18 at the time, joined Huddersfield Town on a season-long loan for the 2021/22 campaign. It turned out to be a brilliant year for his development, even though he suffered defeat against Nottingham Forest in the Championship play-off final. Paulo Ferreira hailed Colwill’s loan spell with Huddersfield, where he emerged as a super exciting ball-playing defender.
Afterwards, Colwill enjoyed his first taste of Premier League football by spending the 2022/23 season on loan with Brighton.
After a positive Brighton loan, Mauricio Pochettino helped to keep Colwill at Chelsea in the 2023 summer window. He’s now drawn the curtains on his first two seasons as a first-team regular at Stamford Bridge.
| Club | Appearances | Goals |
| Chelsea | 75 | 3 |
| Huddersfield Town | 32 | 2 |
| Brighton | 22 | 0 |
Josh Acheampong could emulate Levi Colwill rise
In the space of just a few years, Colwill has gone from a Chelsea youth product to a Blues starter and England international. Without a doubt, his time out on loan played a major role in his growth as a player.
We are confident that Chelsea youngster Josh Acheampong, 19, has the potential to emulate him.
The teenage defender may be presented with the opportunity to leave the Blues on loan, which is something we think he and the club should definitely weigh up.
Reports this week claim that Bournemouth are interested in signing Acheampong, and Chelsea would only consider loan offers for him. Similarly, Crystal Palace have asked about Acheampong because they want to take him on a season-long loan next term.
Like Colwill, Acheampong is a Chelsea academy graduate with a ridiculously high ceiling. Even though he played 14 first-team matches for the Blues last season, his development could be fast-tracked with a temporary spell at a rival Premier League club.
The Josh Acheampong dilemma
If Acheampong stays with Enzo Maresca’s group for the 2025/26 season, he has the ability to make a positive impact. It’s a bonus that the versatile defender can easily cover centre-half or full-back positions, too.
Chelsea supporters must be desperate to see more of the English talent as well because he looks mature beyond his years on the football pitch.
The obvious problem for Acheampong and Chelsea is that his minutes at right-back are restricted because he’s competing with Reece James and Malo Gusto. Also, there are already some top-class central defenders at the club vying for just two positions.
We feel Acheampong could nail down a position at a club like Bournemouth, who have sold key defenders this summer, and really kick on by playing regularly in the Premier League.
If Chelsea manage Acheampong’s future correctly, there’s every chance that he could be lining up in their starting XI on a weekly basis in the coming years. The quickest way to make it happen may be to send him out on loan.
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