West Ham United may consider letting Niclas Füllkrug leave on a free transfer this summer as his wages will be unviable in the Championship.
BILD report on the 33-year-old today. He faces an interesting summer after missing out on the World Cup following an unsuccessful loan spell at AC Milan.
West Ham return
The striker had hoped to be a part of the squad heading to the USA, Canda and Mexico. He’s even been in regular contact with Julian Nagelsmann over the last few months. Nagelsmann had consistently emphasised the West Ham striker’s importance to the team.
He had consistently delivered for Germany when selected. But his form in the last two years, for West Ham and Milan, has been a major disappointment. That’s not been helped by several long-term injuries.
Now he’s out of the picture and needs to use the summer to decide on his future. It’s question of staying abroad or returning to Germany.
For now, he’ll be returning to West Ham from his loan spell in Milan. But BILD say it is ‘virtually impossible’ that he’ll remain there.
The striker will be too expensive for the Championship, with an estimated net salary of €4.5m. West Ham are therefore willing to let him go for a ‘minimal transfer fee’ or for free to get him off the wage bill.
Werder Bremen chances
That presents a great opportunity for his former club Werder Bremen. They wanted to sign him in January and Niclas Füllkrug was open to the idea. However, the deal was not financially feasible at the time.
That could change if Füllkrug received a ‘substantial severance package’ to leave West Ham early. In that scenario, financial considerations would be secondary.
He wants to be needed, showcase his talent, and enjoy playing football. And he wants to live near his birthplace: Hanover. Bremen is just an hour away, so their case would be strong. VfL Wolfsburg are another option.
The USA is also an option, but he doesn’t fancy that. And there is interest in Italy, but he’s leaning more towards Germany. First, it will depend on what West Ham do, with a free transfer not off the table.