Rory O'Callaghan
Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong has been told he will not play for the club's senior team or development squad unless he signs a new contract at Stamford Bridge.
Acheampong, 18, is a highly-rated England youth international and made his senior debut for the club in February under former manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The Chelsea academy graduate was expected to be play a more prominent role this season after being taken on the club's pre-season tour of the United States.
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But so far he has been limited to just one appearance, a 27-minute cameo in their 5-0 Carabao Cup third round win over Barrow.
Chelsea were thought to have viewed Acheampong as third in the pecking order at right-back behind captain Reece James and Malo Gusto.
But he was not even named on the bench for Chelsea's games at Bournemouth and West Ham last month despite James and Gusto both being unavailable for selection through injury at the time.
The Athletic now claim that Acheampong has been told he won't play for the club again until he signs a new contract.
Acheampong's current deal is due to expire in 2026 and the club have opened talks over an extension to secure his long-term future.
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However, nothing has been finalised yet, leading to speculation over his future and a potential exit from Stamford Bridge.
While a lack of first-team action this season is perhaps not a major surprise, given Acheampong's age, what is more telling is that he has also hardly featured for the Under-21 side.
His last match for the youth side was on September 15 and he was not on the teamsheet for their Premier League Cup match at Bournemouth on Monday night.
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The Athletic report that multiple anonymous sources 'with knowledge of the situation' claim that Acheampong's lack of match action is due to his contract talks stalling.
It's claimed the club have told him the situation 'will not change unless he extends his deal'.
Acheampong, who has represented England from Under-16 to Under-20 level, is already being targeted by other high-profile clubs in January, according to recent reports.
However, The Athletic add that Chelsea do not want to sell and remain optimistic that the situation can be resolved before it escalates.
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Earlier this week, Chelsea released an interview with the defender, in which he stated he felt 'connected' to the club and was looking forward to more first-team football.
"My season has started off on a huge high," he said. "Going away for pre-season with the men's team, being involved in the Barrow fixture and putting in some solid performances with the Under-21s side.
"Overall, I'd say I've started well and already gained some extremely valuable experience. Being at Chelsea since the Under-8s, I feel really connected to the club, as anyone would.
"To say that I've worked my way up the age groups, I've loved every experience I've had here and to see that I've continued to grow and progress is a bonus. I plan to keep working hard to develop even further."