According to Sky Sports, Chelsea striker Martell Taylor-Crossdale is close to completing a move to Bundesliga side TSG Hoffenheim, with a medical set to be done later this week.
The 19-year-old has also been linked with Bristol City, Southampton, Aston Villa, and Fulham.
SKYSPORTS Hoffenheim to sign Chelsea youngster Teenage Chelsea striker Martell Taylor-Crossdale will head to Germany later this week for a medical ahead of a permanent move to Bundesliga club Hoffenheim. https://t.co/tt4BBYPLAB
— Chelsea FC RSS Feeds (@CFCrss) May 14, 2019
Taylor-Crossdale scored 43 goals in 72 youth appearances from 2016 to 2018, including 21 goals in 21 U18 Premier League games during our Treble-winning 2016-17 campaign. However, he had been unable to reproduce the same kind of form when playing for the U23s, scoring just once in 15 appearances this season in the PL2 and the EFL Trophy.
Despite that, Chelsea offered a new contract to MTC, who had been at the club since an early age like many other promising talents in the Academy. However, it was later mutually agreed that he would leave the club on a free transfer this summer.
Taylor-Crossdale might not be at the level of, say, Callum Hudson-Odoi, but he does have room to grow. Making the move to the Bundesliga — as opposed to just biding his time on loan — could be just the thing to help him release his potential.
Good luck, Martell!
Some players don't handle the steps up through the age groups as well as others, for various reasons, and a lot of kids at CFC will struggle to find the mentality with so few pathways. He knows how to score goals so, if he can apply himself to new challenges, the sky's the limit.
— Chelsea Youth (@chelseayouth) May 14, 2019