West Ham and recent signing in agreement on January sale, as talk of new arrival swirls

Niclas Fullkrug is not seeking an exit from West Ham and, contrary to recent reports, the club remain keen to keep the striker.

According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, the former Borussia Dortmund striker has no plans to return to the Bundesliga after a slow start to life in the Premier League.

“As of now, Fullkrug isn’t considering a departure in winter. #WHUFC also don’t want to let the 31y/o leave and believe in German striker. A sale is currently not on the table,” Plettenberg wrote on X.

Signed from Dortmund for £27million (€32.4m/US$35m) this past summer, the 22-cap Germany international has made only three substitute’s appearances so far for the Hammers in the English top flight, totalling just 63 minutes of action with no goals scored.

A recent report by talkSPORT claimed West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui is not convinced by his current options up front and that the club could move for a new No9 when the transfer market reopens in January,

But this latest claim from the player’s homeland suggests both West Ham and Fullkrug are determined to make their big-money summer move a success.

Fullkrug is currently recovering from a hamstring injury but is set to return to fitness in the coming days.

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Fullkrug not alone in West Ham struggles

West Ham spent over £120m (€144m/US$155.5m) on signings in the 2024 summer transfer window, but as yet their outlay has not paid off.

The London side sit 16th in the Premier League table after eight games, with just two wins and four defeats.

And several of their attacking new additions have made little impact.

In addition to Fullkrug’s struggles, star Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville – a £25m (€30m/US$32.4m) signing from Leeds United – has made only one league start and is yet to score or assist in seven outings.

Midfielder Carlos Soler’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain on loan was seen a as a coup when the deal was announced, but the Spaniard has not yet started for Lopetegui’s side, with five appearances off the bench totalling just 150 Premier League minutes.

And Luis Guilherme, the 18-year-old Brazilian forward signed from Palmeiras for £25.5m (€30.6m/US$33m) – has made just one four-minute cameo.

Latest West Ham transfer news

The Hammers are one of seven Premier League clubs in the race to sign Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov, according to TBRFootball.

A 20-year-old Uzbekistan international, Khusanov has impressed in the French top flight this term and the £25m-rated (€30m/US$32.4m) defender is also attracting interest from Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Napoli, Atalanta and Marseille.

And Khusanov is not the only burgeoning defensive star linked with a switch to the London Stadium.

Bologna’s 25-year-old centre-back Sam Beukema has talked about his desire to play in the Premier League while revealing he was a childhood West Ham fan.

“I also have ambitions and hope one day to be able to play maybe in the Premier League or another big club,” he said (via Corriere dello Sport).

“I was a fan of West Ham. I once visited Upton Park with my father and I was really impressed, because the atmosphere was similar to that of Feyenoord or Go Ahead Eagles.

“But there are so many fantastic teams in England, so if another great club like Liverpool came along I would be happy to go there one day.”

Why West Ham moved for Niclas Fullkrug

At 31 years old and having never scored 20 league goals in a single season in his career, the £27m West Ham paid Borussia Dortmund to sign Niklas Fullkrug this past summer appeared a hefty outlay.

There was reason for the Hammers’ faith in the German target man, though.

Fullkrug was coming fresh off starring in a role as a super-sub for the home nation at Euro 2024, scoring two goals from five appearances and regularly troubling opposition defences with his hyper-physical style when brought on.

And he was just a year removed from having joined Dortmund after the two best seasons of his career. In the 2021-22 campaign, he notched 19 league goals from 33 appearances to fire Werder Bremen to promotion from the second tier.

He then scored 16 goals from just 28 top-flight games to finish as the Bundesliga’s highest scorer in 2022-23.

Fullkrug hit the ground running at Signal Iduna Park, too, scoring 12 goals in the league and registering a career-best eight assists, utilising the improved talent around him to showcase his intelligent link-up play. He was also a key figure in Dortmund’s run to the Champions League final, scoring three goals in the competition and striking the post in a 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the final.

But things haven’t gone to plan for Fullkrug thus far at West Ham. His aerially dominant style would perhaps have been better suited to the previous manager, David Moyes, rather than current boss Julen Lopetegui.

With Just three appearances off the bench and no goals, Fullkrug’s big-money late-career Premier League switch has not gone to plan.

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