Despite his age, Josh Acheampong has been one of Chelsea's most impressive players this season, and at just 20 years old, many have backed him to be selected for Thomas Tuchel's England squad in the not-too-distant future.
His performance over the weekend against Manchester United at Stamford really made everyone stand up and take note, and whilst players like Romeo Lavia, Morgan Rogers, and Cole Palmer got most of the plaudits, Acheampong's importance in this Chelsea side cannot be forgotten.
As the game was coming to a close, former Chelsea player Daniel Sturridge took to X and praised Acheampong's performance, believing the England U21 international can reach the top of the game, saying, "Josh Acheampong is a baller, and he's only 20 years old. He can become elite him. Love his game."
Josh Acheampong is a baller and he’s only 20 years young. He can become elite him.
— Daniel Sturridge (@DanielSturridge) October 31, 2026
Love his game 👏🏾
What made Acheampong's outing at Stamford Bridge so impressive was his versatility and how he seemed to be everywhere on the pitch, even popping up sometimes in the number 10 position or the right wing.
Acheampong's overall performance has massively improved under Alonso this season, but his passing has come on leaps and bounds, and Saturday's game highlighted that, completing 60 of his 65 accurate passes, as well as making 12 line-breaking passes, whilst making eight passes into Manchester United's final third.
Saturday's game also saw the return of Estevao to the Chelsea starting XI, something fans haven't seen in a Premier League match since April, and the Brazilian put in a dazzling display and was very unlucky not to get a goal himself, having two disallowed, one in either half, with the second one ruling him offside by a mere seven centimetres.
Along with Acheampong, Estevao is also someone who Sturridge believes can go right to the very top, and just needs a sustained run in the team, "Salute to Estevao. On another day, he has a hat trick and gets all the glory. Let him build some momentum, and he will fly. Special talent."
Estevao's performance reminded everyone of the talent that the youngster possesses, but he hasn't quite been given the opportunities that he or Chelsea fans might have expected, with the current absence of Joao Pedro, Xabi Alonso might stick with the front four that he started on Saturday, with Pedro Neto playing as a false nine and Estevao filling in for him on the right wing.
Add us as a preferred source on Google