There has been a sudden surprise twist in the Niclas Fullkrug saga at West Ham and all may not be as it seems.
The fact West Ham’s acquisition of starting German international striker Niclas Fullkrug has been a disaster so far should surprise nobody.
Well nobody with any kind of knowledge of Hammers history.
The fact is West Ham and strikers seem to mix like oil and water.
Fullkrug became the 53rd striker to be signed by West Ham United since majority owner David Sullivan arrived in east London nearly 15 years ago.
Just take a moment to pause and think about that figure West Ham fans.
The club has signed FIFTY-THREE strikers in 14 years worth of transfer windows. It’s the equivalent of nearly two per window since January 2010.
The fact so few have worked out is one of the big reasons the club’s frustrated fans often bemoan the “West Ham striker curse”.
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Cursing the club’s rotten luck over striker signings can look a touch myopic at times.
All clubs suffer with injuries. And all clubs make signings who don’t work out for one reason or another.
But Fullkrug is the latest evidence to support that particular West Ham theory.
Niclas Fullkrug of Germany disappointed during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League A Group A3 match between Germany and Hungary at Merkur Spiel-...
Photo by Jürgen Fromme – firo sportphoto/Getty Images
More to West Ham’s bizarre sudden Fullkrug twist than meets the eye
The signing raised eyebrows in the first place because West Ham fans felt the club needed a young, powerful, pacy, dynamic forward they could build a team around for years to come.
Indeed that is what was being promised by Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten ahead of the summer rebuild.
So bringing in a 31-year-old who lacks pace and has a woeful injury record seemed a risky decision.
Fullkrug is of course a deadly finisher and elite level target man, make no mistake about that.
You don’t start up front for Germany if you’re not a quality finisher.
But the same was true of Javier Hernandez, Sebastien Haller, Gianluca Scamacca and, to a lesser extent, Danny Ings.
It takes more than that to be a hit up as a forward at West Ham.
Strikers have to able to do a bit of everything up front for the Hammers, who love a maverick.
It’s why the likes of Marko Arnautovic, Carlos Tevez and Paolo Di Canio were such huge hits in east London.
Steidten said Fullkrug was signed because he was ready to go from the off.
Yet Fullkrug started the season on the bench and made three inauspicious sub appearances for West Ham in the Premier League.
Almost immediately Fullkrug spoke out about being sub.
The former Dortmund forward spoke out saying he understood being on the bench for the first game.
But Fullkrug said he didn’t sign for West Ham to play back-up to Michail Antonio.
As inevitable as death and taxes, the German suffered an Achilles tendon and calf injury which saw him withdraw from his national team’s squad in September.
He has not been seen by West Ham since.
There was a sudden development overnight, though, which caught everyone off-guard.
And there’s much more to West Ham’s bizarre sudden Fullkrug twist than meets the eye.
West Ham United's Niclas Fullkrug during the Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Aston Villa FC at London Stadium on August 17, 202...
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
Surely no coincidence striker returns after West Ham ultimatum
Striker signing number 53 has been going back and forth to Germany for treatment.
Then last month a top source inside West Ham revealed Fullkrug is feeling unsettled in the UK and already wants to leave.
Ahead of Arsenal, Lopetegui said he was hopeful he might have the £23.5m signing back for Leicester.
But leading Hammers source Sean Whetstone revealed on Sunday that Fullkrug will be out for another two games at least.
Not only that, but he stated he could be moved on in January to end the latest sorry striker saga.
In his pre-match press conference on Monday, Lopetegui said the Leicester game had come too soon for Fullkrug, who has not been seen training with his teammates for three months.
There was shock last night when it was claimed Fullkrug has passed a late fitness test and will travel with the squad to the King Power Stadium for the Leicester clash.
Claret and Hugh said Fullkrug was passed fit to be on the bench against Leicester.
That’s great news for the Hammers and the striker of course.
Suspicious timing with Lopetegui and Steidten under pressure
But the timing and sudden nature of the development is all rather suspicious.
One minute he is out until at least the Bournemouth game.
The next, he’s passed fit for Leicester with little to no full contact group training under his belt for three months.
This bolt from the blue comes on the same evening a journalist connected to Sullivan revealed Lopetegui’s and Steidten’s jobs are on the line at Leicester.
In fact there were just minutes between Jacob Steinberg’s announcement that Sergio Conceicao is being lined up if West Ham lose to Leicester and the breaking news that Fullkrug was suddenly available.
It’s clear Lopetegui – and perhaps Steidten too – know this is their biggest game yet.
Lose and the manager could be gone with the technical director not far behind him.
So getting Fullkrug back is clearly the last throw of the dice.
From West Ham’s point of view, the sooner he is back in action the more chance there is of finding a taker in January too.
Especially given the reports both Fullkrug and the club feel the move has been a mistake.
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