Not even five million pounds: The five million euro ‘option to buy’ clause included in the loan arrangement between West Ham United and AC Milan is hardly big bucks.
Yet it is proving too rich for the Italian side who are reportedly looking for another striker to replace the on loan Niclas Fullkrug who’s seemingly set for a return to West Ham, according to sempremilan.com this afternoon.
Half a season has proved ample for the Italians to assess and find that, as West Ham found, Fullkrug offers very little in front of goal. Prominent Spanish journalist who reports on all things Milan Matteo Moretto is reported as confirming it’s the end of the line for West Ham’s veteran loanee:
“Several games and just one goal later, it’s becoming clear that the German isn’t the striker that Milan need for next season. ..There is a very small chance of seeing Füllkrug with the Milan shirt for another season. The buy-out option is set at €5m, so it’s not an expensive one, but the Rossoneri are already looking for another striker, a physical one, who can fill the role that Füllkrug has. So he would return to West Ham”
Having cost £26 million just two years ago, West Ham, it seems, cannot give the player away for a fraction of that.
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Still on the balance sheets at something approaching fifteen million pounds, it seems another giant loss for next years accounts is looming; Alternatively the Hammers will end up loaning him out -somewhere- yet having to subsidise his £90k a week wages just to keep him away from the training ground.
Fullkrug has become the Steidten-inspired ‘gift that never stops taking’: Unless Tim comes to West Ham’s rescue as has been previously hinted in his new role as Director of Squad Planning and Recruitment at Bundesliga side FC Köln, Steidten has been tipped for a cheeky lowball bid to take Fullkrug back to Germany in the Summer. We hope.