Chelsea's academy has been a production line for England defenders, and Josh Acheampong could become the latest to take that step.
Since John Terry broke through in the early 2000s, Chelsea have produced Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guehi and Fikayo Tomori for England, while also developing international centre-backs Andreas Christensen and Nathan Ake.
Acheampong has started six of Chelsea's past nine matches in all competitions.
Only four players - attackers Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, and defenders Colwill and Maxence Lacroix - have played more than his 581 minutes under new manager Xabi Alonso.
Much of that has stemmed from Alonso settling on a more consistent side.
Chelsea had conceded a league-high 12 goals before the international break but have let in only one since, including recording their first clean sheet of the season away at Everton on Saturday.
Acheampong, 20, has operated as a roaming centre-back in a back three alongside more fixed options Colwill and Lacroix, stepping into midfield or moving wide to perform the role of a traditional full-back when in possession.
He has also developed a promising understanding with right wing-back Pedro Neto, combining with him in the move that led to Joao Pedro's goal against Bournemouth, while keeping £75m signing Wesley Fofana out of the side.
Alonso has been keen to emphasise Chelsea's defensive improvement as a collective effort, with the return of Moises Caicedo from injury and his partnership alongside 36-year-old Jordan Henderson adding greater stability.
During a pre-season tour of Australia and Asia, Alonso also hammered home his policy of giving minutes to those who most deserve it, rather than on reputation.
It's in this environment Acheampong has begun featuring regularly, while also starting eight of England Under-21s' past 10 matches.
Increasingly, the young defender appears to be knocking on the door of a senior call-up should manager Thomas Tuchel seek a versatile option on the right side of defence.
Could Acheampong still leave Chelsea?
Acheampong is under contract until 2029, meaning decisions need to be made between now and next summer.
Across recent transfer windows, the defender has been repeatedly linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge, only for sources within Chelsea to insist he was "untouchable".
That message has remained consistent, although it has occasionally raised eyebrows.
Chelsea seriously explored moves for now-Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen in the summer of 2025 and Liverpool centre-back Jeremy Jacquet in January 2026, who possess similar attributes and are only a year older than Acheampong.
At one stage during the summer Chelsea had 10 senior centre-backs on their books, before ending the transfer window with six.
In a season without European football, there were genuine doubts over how much Acheampong would play. Potential loan moves were explored, including a switch to Crystal Palace.
Palace instead signed Chelsea's Axel Disasi on loan, with Premier League rules permitting only one domestic loan signing from another top-flight club.
Despite being with Chelsea since Under-8s, Acheampong has come close to leaving on more than one occasion.
In 2023, he did not sign a professional contract on his 17th birthday, which is typically the norm for elite academy prospects. The club's current ownership later moved to secure his future in January 2024, avoiding the risk of losing him for only a nominal compensation fee.
Twelve months later, Acheampong again appeared to be heading towards the exit in what former manager Enzo Maresca described as a "bad situation".
Before the conclusion of lengthy and ultimately successful negotiations, the club's hierarchy withdrew him from selection at both academy and first-team level before he eventually signed a contract until 2029.
That agreement, signed in December 2024, remains the deal he is on today.
Chelsea could face important decisions next summer, when Acheampong, Colwill and Fofana will all enter the final two years of their contracts.
Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo were sold to Como and Tottenham Hotspur respectively this summer after entering the final two years of their deals.
The policy stems in part from lessons learned following Chelsea's 2022 takeover, when Antonio Rudiger and Christensen departed on free transfers to Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
Those exits triggered a scramble to reinforce the centre of defence, contributing to expensive moves for Fofana and Marc Cucurella.
Acheampong's recent performances have begun to attract wider recognition among Chelsea supporters and have raised the stakes surrounding his future.
At present, there are no active discussions over a new deal, although the idea of a seven-year contract has been floated previously.
There is caution within Acheampong's camp about rushing into negotiations until there is clearer evidence that he can become a regular starter at Chelsea.
However, the first-team football provided by Alonso has given the club its strongest chance yet of persuading one of its most promising academy graduates to commit his long-term future.