Arsenal and Chelsea are monitoring Hoffenheim’s 18-year-old centre-forward Max Moerstedt with the view of making a potential swoop next year, as per TBR Football.
The Germany u19 international has emerged as the Bundesliga’s newest jewel this season with scintillating performances for Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side. He has featured in four first-team matches across all competitions and capped his Europa League debut with a stunning goal in Hoffenheim’s 1-1 draw against Danish Superliga side FC Midtjylland.
His performances have piqued the interest of a host of clubs in the Premier League, with TBR Football reporting that Arsenal and Chelsea had their scouts present at the MCH Arena to watch Moerstedt against Midtjylland.
The report suggests that the London giants will continue to monitor the young forward ahead of making a possible move to sign him next year.
However, while Arsenal and Chelsea had representatives in Denmark to watch the youngster, the report adds that the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham and West Ham have also monitored the centre-forward in the last 12 months, so there will be plenty of competition for his signature.
With a contract that runs until 2027 and numerous top Premier League clubs showing an interest in Moerstedt, Hoffenheim will no doubt want a lot more than his €1m (£833k) Transfermarkt valuation.
Future star
Both Arsenal and Chelsea have some of the best young prospects in their ranks.
In the centre forward position, the Gunners currently have Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, Khayon Edwards, Daniel Oyetunde and even the versatile Ethan Nwaneri.
On the other hand, Chelsea are not short of centre-forward prospects, with the likes of Deivid Washington, Dujuan Richards, Frankie Runham, Harvey Vale, and Marc Guiu all among the youngsters occupying forward positions at the club.
Moerstedt could be the latest hot prospect to join one of the London giants and he’d be an exciting addition as the youngster already boasts first-team experience and is showcasing his talents in European competitions.
Finishing, agility, pace, and link-up play define the young German’s style – and his abilities would only sharpen further under the guidance of attacking-minded coaches like Enzo Maresca or Mikel Arteta.