Niclas Füllkrug was practically forced into joining West Ham United in 2024 and is now suffering the consequences.
That’s according to journalist Marcel Reif. [He’s been speaking to BILD](https://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/er-will-wechseln-hsv-knaller-um-fuellkrug-6909cf84180d8e6000bc83f4) and believes the striker should look at a move back to the Bundesliga.
Füllkrug opened the door to a January transfer window exit from West Ham this week. His agent appeared on a podcast in which he admitted the move had been a mistake. He then said it would make sense to seek a move in January.
The striker joined West Ham in 2024 for a €27m fee after an impressive campaign with Borussia Dortmund. His time at the London Stadium has been hampered by injuries, though. That’s left him with a miserable tally of three goals in 27 games in all competitions.
It’s far from the return he or West Ham imagined when he arrived from Germany. And both parties now appear happy to part ways and bring their relationship to an end.
West Ham player falls from radar
--------------------------------
A return to the Bundesliga has been mooted and Reif thinks that makes sense. He was very critical of the move to West Ham in the first place.
_“Niklas Füllkrug has completely fallen under the radar,”_ he said.
_“In England, they ask Florian Wirtz, they ask Woltemade, what it’s like to play that kind of football there. And Füllkrug gambled away his chance. He didn’t gamble, it was an offer, and he practically had to accept it._
_“However, he could have done it, maybe he believed in himself. And then came the injuries, so you have to look at the whole picture._
_“And if you don’t learn right away in the fast-paced Premier League, then you carry that with you. Then he’s playing for a club that’s far below his standards._
_“A return to the Bundesliga, where he really became a national player, suits him.”_