Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has poured cold water on speculation of January loan moves for some of the club’s promising young stars, including Marc Guiu and Josh Acheampong.

Despite the Blues nearing the end of their UEFA Conference League group-stage campaign, Maresca believes keeping these players at Stamford Bridge is the best way to aid their development.

Speaking about the club’s strategy for its younger players, Maresca said, “With young players like Marc, like Josh (Acheampong), like Tyrique (George), for me, the best thing for them is to be with us. Because they can understand every day the way we want to play, they can grow, we can teach them how we want them to play.”

The coach’s remarks come as Chelsea contemplates reshaping its squad for the latter stages of the competition, where stronger lineups are likely to feature. This has raised concerns about the limited opportunities for academy talents in the senior setup.

However, Maresca is adamant that staying close to the first team is invaluable for their progression.

“So, I think it’s better if they stay with us,” he emphasised. “But then it depends a little on the desire of the players. If in this case, Marc’s desire is to get more minutes and to play more, then we see, we sit with him, and we will decide together.”

Maresca’s comments underline Chelsea’s commitment to nurturing its youth talent in-house, even as opportunities for game time may fluctuate. With the head coach clearly valuing the importance of integrating young players into his philosophy, the ball appears to be in their court when it comes to seeking more minutes elsewhere.