Chelsea youngster Martell Taylor-Crossdale is reportedly closing in on his move to Bundesliga club 1899 TSG Hoffenheim.
According to The Sun, TSG Hoffenheim could soon announce the arrival of promising Chelsea youngster Martell Taylor-Crossdale. The 19-year-old centre-forward is set to undergo a medical ahead of his permanent move to Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. He will be available for free, with his current contract at Chelsea expiring at the end of this month.
Taylor-Crossdale has been a part of the Chelsea academy for 11 years and is rated among the best young talents in the current crop of youngsters. It is believed the Blues did offer him terms to prolong his stay at Stamford Bridge. But, the 19-year-old refused, believing it was time for him to make the next move in his career.
The youngster could follow the recent trend of British talents moving to the Bundesliga in search of regular playing time. And with players like Jadon Sancho and Reiss Nelson finding immense success, of late, it won’t be surprising to see Taylor-Crossdale follow their footsteps and make his breakthrough at Hoffenheim.
That being said, it is unlikely he will be mixed into Hoffenheim’s starting fold right away. The Bundesliga outfit is coming on the back of a productive campaign, where players like Ishak Belfodil, Joelinton and Andrej Kramaric have all managed to find the back of the net on a consistent basis.
On the flip side, however, Die Kraichgauer have a busy summer ahead of them as they prepare for the departure of coach Julian Nagelsmann. The club has already confirmed Ajax manager Erik ten Haag’s assistant coach Alfred Schreuder will replace the Leipzig bound Nagelsmann next season and the Dutchman is sure to make some changes to the side.
In addition, Joelinton has been linked with a move away from the club while Adam Szalai is nearing the final phase of his career. And considering Schreuder’s nature of building a team around young players, it won’t be surprising to see the 47-year-old hand an opportunity to Taylor-Crossdale to prove himself next season.
As for Chelsea, it is unlikely they will be fazed by the potential departure of the youngster. Rather, the Blues have more staking matters at hand after losing Maurizio Sarri to Juventus. And with players like Mateo Kovacic and Gonzalo Higuain returning to their parent clubs coupled with Chelsea’s transfer ban, it remains to be seen how the Blues can recover from these turbulent times.