John Obi Mikel says Chelsea have a 19-year-old player who is “the real deal”

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel says that Chelsea have a 19-year-old player who is “the real deal” right now.

The compliments come after Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday night to get themselves back on track after a rough run of form.

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Brazilian winger, Estevao Willian, scored the winning goal on the night and he is now the highest rated U21 player in the Premier League, per stats put together by Who Scored.

But it is perhaps a more unsung hero of the game who Mikel is raving about this week and a player who also had to go off injured during the game.

It’s a real shame that defender Josh Acheampong had to go off injured, joining his centre back partner on the day, Benoit Badiashile. Both were playing well and looking to hold down their positions in the absence of Chelsea’s usual options at the back.

Acheampong proved again that he is a player with real quality and despite his young age, he is more than ready to be a regular starter for Chelsea and plays with maturity beyond his years.

The real deal

Josh Acheampong against Liverpool. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Mikel has just put out his latest Podcast, and on it he said on Josh Acheampong:

“Every time I watch the kid play, I always say this kid is someone, he’s the real deal. I think he has the potential to be a really good player for us.”

I concur

I completely agree with Mikel here. Josh has the potential to become a world class defender and the ability he has got on the ball means he could be a top player anywhere on the pitch really. He is a rare breed.