Niclas Fullkrug has delivered a brutally honest assessment of his time at West Ham and left little doubt about his future at the club beyond his AC Milan loan spell.
There is no hiding the fact Niclas Fullkrug has been a complete flop at West Ham United.
But that never stopped him being afraid to voice his opinions – and then some.
West Ham fans have quipped that Fullkrug did more interviews and videos than he played matches in his dismal 18 months as a Hammer.
The Germany striker certainly did more of those than he scored goals after notching only three in the claret and blue following his disastrous £27m move from Dortmund.
That was signed off by much-maligned former technical director Tim Steidten.
Fullkrug the £27m West Ham flop who cost Steidten his job
delivers brutal new West Ham statement and says whether he’ll be back
The fact Steidten paid the ultimate price for failed signings like Fullkrug by losing his job says everything about how bad a fit the striker was at the London Stadium.
Why do you think Niclas Fullkrug failed?
All the warning signs were there too.
Hammers fans know their football.
So when they were questioning the acquisition of a slow, ageing, injury-prone forward – Steidten and the club should have listened.
But they didn’t and just 18 months on, West Ham have agreed a woeful deal with Milan for Fullkrug.
The Italian giants have taken the soon-to-be 33-year-old on a straight loan without paying a fee with an option to buy set at just £3.5m at the end of the season, by which time Fullkrug will have just one year left on his deal.
West Ham have moved quickly to replace Fullkrug with strikers Pablo, of Portuguese side Gil Vicente, and Lazio’s Argentine Valentin Castellanos on their way in a £47m double move.
Despite his lack of contribution, game time and goals at West Ham, Fullkrug was not shy in airing his strident views to the press and on social media.
After being named on the bench for the first game of his time at the club, Fullkrug spoke out saying he didn’t sign for West Ham to be back-up for Michail Antonio.
Fullkrug delivers brutal new West Ham statement
He famously labelled the team ‘s—‘ and said players didn’t listen to Graham Potter.
Fullkrug also described his move to West Ham as ‘s—‘ when speaking during an appearance on German TV.
Pablo looks set to be West Ham’s first signing of January…💪
What are YOUR thoughts on this deal?
He spent over two thirds of his time at the club out injured, so his regular interviews and outbursts started to grate on many fans.
Throw in the fact Fullkrug’s attitude and effort levels noticeably dropped off this season as he sought a move away, and it is understandable that many Hammers fans lost any remaining respect for him.
Now Fullkrug has delivered a brutal new West Ham statement and says whether he’ll be back after his Milan loan.
The striker’s comments cut through any lingering uncertainty and add further weight to the sense that his spell in east London never truly aligned with expectations on either side.
Taking to his Instagram, Fullkrug posted a picture of him waving to West Ham fans, whose chants of ‘We’ve got a big f—— German’ faded long ago and, in trademark honest fashion, admitted the move simply has not worked out.
Fullkrug also went on to make it clear he has no intention of returning with the very categoric nature of the message.
The departing flop also had a message for Milan fans in which he sounds very happy to be out of West Ham.
Fullkrug reveals whether he’ll be back at West Ham
“Dear Hammers, the past one and a half years didn’t go as I – and surely you all – had imagined,” Fullkrug said in his post to West Ham fans.
“Above all, I want to thank you for your support, even when things weren’t always easy.
“There are truly special people at West Ham United, and I am very grateful for everyone I met and the relationships I was able to build.
“Wishing you all the best for the rest of the season! Fulle.”
His use of the words ‘met’ and ‘was’ suggests Fullkrug has absolutely no intention of returning to the club for the final year of his Hammers contract.
He may have to find a club besides his new one, though, because Milan made an astonishing decision on Fullkrug after one training session.
In his message to Milan supporters, Fullkrug could not hide his delight at the move, making it clear he has been waiting a long time to sign.
“Ciao Rossoneri, I’m finally here!” Fullkrug said.
“It’s an incredible feeling.
“I can’t wait to wear this jersey. It’s a great honour for me to be part of this huge club rich in tradition, with all its history, personalities, and ambitions — and I’m really looking forward to giving my best to continue writing this story.
“Let’s get started – andiamo!”
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