As C&H reported recently, one of Tim Steidten’s high profile signings is set to leave the club in the January transfer window.
Niclas Füllkrug’s time at West Ham has largely been underwhelming, but his proven goal-scoring pedigree has attracted interest from AC Milan. Former West Ham manager target Max Allegri is looking to bolster his attacking options and sees Füllkrug as a low-risk, high-reward veteran who could thrive in Serie A’s more tactical environment.
Füllkrug arrived at West Ham United in the summer of 2024 from Borussia Dortmund for a reported £27 million, carrying the reputation of a classic No. 9 with a strong scoring record. However, his Premier League stint has been marred by injuries and tactical mismatches. He has managed just 3 goals in 24 appearances, a stark contrast to his previous form.
West Ham have pedigree at failing to integrate traditional strikers and Füllkrug’s recurring thigh injuries have sidelined him from Nuno Espírito Santo’s plans. The club is actively seeking replacements, and Füllkrug is reportedly open to a move to a European club.
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Interestingly, Real Madrid had strong interest in signing him earlier in June 2025. Under new manager Xabi Alonso, Los Blancos sought a traditional striker to complement Kylian Mbappé’s dynamic style. Füllkrug was seen as a perfect fit for Alonso’s system, yet they didn’t pursue their initial interest.
It is curious as to why the German striker has been linked to some of Europes biggest clubs, yet outside of his West Ham stint, his career stats remain impressive.
For Germany he has 14 goals in 24 caps, and 12 goals in 28 Bundesliga appearances for Borussia Dortmund in 2023-2024. Prior to that he hit the back of the net sixteen times in 28 games for Werder Bremen and had consistent double-digit goal seasons for Hannover 96 and Nurnberg.
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With AC Milan reportedly preparing an offer Füllkrug’s January exit seems imminent. Reports suggest that they would be willing to swap Santiago Gimenez, a former target for the Hammers. Gimenez, a Mexico international is 24 years old and scored 45 goals in 73 appearances for Feyenoord between 2022-2025. However, he has found goals hard to come by in Serie A, having only scored four goals in 23 games since joining the Italian giants for €32m in February 2025.
Whether Nuno Espírito Santo would entertain such a deal remains to be seen.
Füllkrug remains a proven finisher, yet his story at West Ham will be remembered for failure and another example of the infamous West Ham curse!
As I have said before, no such thing as a curse, just pathetically poor management. Apart from Sullivan, everybody knows that Sullivan is the problem and until he goes nothing changes.
We already have a decent striker in big Tom Souchek. Why would we need anyone else ?
Am open to the idea, thought Gimenez looked good in Eredivisie defending is a lot better in Serie A and Gimenez is more mobile than Fullkrug so worth a punt. Worryingly Fullkrug doesn’t seem to win his aerial duels in the PL so would view this as an option that could suit both parties if there is any truth to it.
Hard to judge the quality of the player when the team was playing so badly and being so poorly managed. Things are looking up now but Nuno will have his own targets. Fuelle can still bring in money as an option for a top team chasing trophies. He may still have a decent world cup. Good luck to him. He certainly cared.
Recently when West Ham were at their worst, it was Fullcrug who was one of the few showing any bottle and leadership to the rest of the team. Injuries apart, I like the guy and thought he was good for the club. Management didn’t help and his record elsewhere implies his abilities were sound. I wonder what that says about us.