Niclas Füllkrug arrived at West Ham United from Borussia Dortmund in August 2023.
The striker joined the Bundesliga side from Werder Bremen in 2022 and impressed in his only season at the Signal Iduna Park. He managed 15 goals and 10 assists from 43 matches, and this would have convinced West Ham.
However, the move didn’t work out as the 32-year-old failed to replicate his BVB form for West Ham. He scored three goals and contributed two assists from 29 matches and failed to score or assist this season.
The Germany international also struggled with injuries during his time with the Premier League side. In search of regular minutes to regain prominence, he left the Hammers for AC Milan on loan in January. The two clubs have also agreed a purchase option.
Werder Bremen wanted Füllkrug in winter market
Back in November, the player’s agent publicly pushed for a move away from Nuno Espírito Santo’s side. Sport Witness had then covered claims from Germany of the Bundesliga as an option for him in January.
Füllkrug didn’t return to Germany as he decided to join the Serie A side. SportBild now report Werder Bremen were keen on bringing their former player back to the club in the last window.
The German club have struggled this season, scoring 22 goals and 21 matches, and are now 16th in the table [18 teams in Bundesliga].
Werder Bremen wanted to add the West Ham man to their squad and had made multiple attempts.
Why Bundesliga side failed to bring West Ham man back
The weekly German magazine interviewed Werder Bremen managing director Clemens Fritz and asked him about Füllkrug.
When responding to that, the official confirms making multiple approaches and explained why the move didn’t go through.
“We wanted to bring Niclas Füllkrug back. I spoke to him two or three times while he was at West Ham and explored the possibility of a loan. But we knew that, from a financial perspective, our chances were very slim. And if a club like Milan is serious about it, it’s not feasible,” he said.