Niclas Fullkrug will not be allowed to simply walk out on West Ham United in January and end his nightmare spell at the club.
Hammers chiefs and head coach Nuno Espirito Santo will only let the injury-hit German striker quit if they find a suitable replacement or are blown away by a mega offer.
Hammers Scouts Identifying Fullkrug Replacements
Niclas Fullkrug
West Ham scouts are already working on finding a forward to take Fullkrug’s place in the squad when the transfer window opens in January.
But attacking players and strikers in particular are at a premium at the halfway stage of the season with so many teams either fighting relegation or pushing for honours making goals like gold dust.
Fullkrug’s agent Thorsten Wirth went public and claimed it ‘makes sense’ for his client to go in the new year. The Germany international has only scored three goals since his £27million move from Borussia Dortmund, with none this season.
He has started just 13 games after signing a four-year contract. Injuries have blighted his 24 months in England. He is currently sidelined with a muscular issue.
West Ham chiefs are happy for him to go but will not compromise their team’s battle for survival at the bottom end of the Premier League.
Fullkrug’s strike partner is Callum Wilson, 33, with rookie Callum Marshall, 20, also in the squad but only just being blooded in the senior team. Veteran Wilson has scored two Premier League goals this term and Marshall is yet to break his duck.
West Ham are third from bottom after back-to-back wins but still have a minus 10 goal difference as they strive to pull away from the drop zone.
The departure of Kyle Macaulay as West Ham’s head of recruitment last month, soon after the sacking of head coach Graham Potter, left the club’s talent-spotting department light. But up-and-coming technical staff have taken over the role and are highly regarded.
The Hammers may have to settle for a loan deal if they do find a suitable centre forward who can come in in January and allow Fullkrug to cut his losses and leave.
Several have already been identified, but the process is ongoing and with six weeks to go until the transfer window reopens, the planning operation is in its early stages.
Fullkrug was seen by many West Ham fans as the solution to their club’s long-running striker issues. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Evan Ferguson, Danny Ings, Italian Gianluca Scamacca and Sebastien Haller all tried but failed to cement a place leading the Hammers’ frontline.
All statistics courtesy of Sofascore - correct as of 11/11/2025