West Ham United are actively looking for a new striker in the January transfer window, and that is bad news for Niclas Fullkrug.
According to journalist Neto on Soutimao, West Ham have made a bid for Corinthians striker Yuri Alberto. The Hammers have offered €30 million (£25 million) for the Brazil international.
West Ham, though, will not be able to sign the 23-year-old striker. That’s because his club Corinthians has rejected the London outfit’s bid. They will not let him leave until the summer of 2025.
One of the reasons why Julen Lopetegui’s side have not been great this season is because they have not scored enough goals. West Ham have scored 21 goals in 16 Premier League games.
Much was expected of Niclas Fullkrug when he joined West Ham from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2024. The Hammers paid £27 million (BBC Sport) for the Germany international striker.
Fullkrug scored 16 goals and gave 10 assists in 46 appearances for Dortmund last season. The 31-year-old has found the back of the net once in six matches in all competitions for the Hammers this campaign.
Granted, there have been injury problems for Fullkrug, but when he has played, he has not looked particularly great in Lopetegui’s system.
While it would be harsh to judge Fullkrug based on a handful of games, that West Ham are bidding for new strikers to bring in the January transfer window is bad news for the striker in the long run.
Fullkrug is 31 now, and you wonder if these fitness issues are ever going to go away. West Ham fans might worry whether he will ever get back to his best when he gets a run of games.
Jarrod Bowen has been deployed as a centre-forward at times this season, but interest in Alberto suggests that the Hammers, who could lose Mohammed Kudus to Arsenal in January, think that they need a ‘proper’ striker.
If West Ham do sign a new number nine either in the January transfer window or next summer, you wonder where that would leave Fullkrug.