Claims being made about West Ham signing Borussia Dortmund striker Niclas Fullkrug are nothing short of farcical.
West Ham have confirmed the club is in talks to sign Niclas Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund.
Reports the Hammers are closing in on a deal are jumping the gun, though.
As revealed by Hammers News earlier, West Ham technical director Tim Steidten is in Germany right now for talks.
But West Ham say Dortmund want a big fee for 31-year-old Fullkrug and still need to be persuaded to sell.
They’re not the only ones that need to be persuaded when it comes to Fullkrug, though, it seems.
Until yesterday West Ham’s prime striker target has been Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran.
As consistently reported on Hammers News, though, West Ham are refusing to meet Villa’s £35m asking price.
The Hammers have left the offer for Duran on the table.
Stark contrast in West Ham targets sparks criticism
But the Irons have switched attentions to Fullkrug. And it’s not necessarily just a ploy to pressure Villa to agree a deal for Duran.
The contrasting profiles of the two strikers has not been lost on many West Ham fans.
Duran being a young, raw, 20-year-old who is relatively unproven at the top level.
Fullkrug is 11 years his senior with a vast wealth of experience at the top level having been a late bloomer.
Steidten has been accused of taking a scattergun approach to the window – something supporters thought they had seen the back of after his appointment last summer.
There has been fierce criticism of West Ham’s move for Fullkrug from fans and observers.
Sky Sports’ European football expert Dougie Critchley says he really likes Fullkrug.
But, like many Hammers fans, feels there are better long-term replacements out there for West Ham’s ageing Michail Antonio.
“I really like Fullkrug,” Critchley said.
“Getting a teammate’s tooth stuck in your forehead, a Bundesliga 2 player to a German international in nine years… a lot of fun! But he’s 31.
“Is he the best long term replacement for 34 year old Antonio? David, Sorloth, Gimenez… there are options!”
That sentiment has been echoed by more than a few West Ham fans.
Those opposing the idea of signing the German forward feel it would be a poor capture which suggests the club’s scouting is not up to much.
Claims about West Ham signing Fullkrug nothing short of farcical
But the claims about West Ham signing Fullkrug are nothing short of farcical.
As a starter for ten, as good a servant as Antonio has been for the Hammers, it really won’t take much to improve on the Jamaican, who turns 35 next season, and Danny Ings.
Yes there is a stark contrast between Duran and Fullkrug. But life isn’t a cake walk and you need back-up alternatives if you can’t get your number one targets.
If West Ham did not have a quality back-up in the pipeline, they would be accused of neglect.
Now let’s address the elephant in the room – claims that Fullkrug is somehow not good enough for West Ham or would be a poor signing.
Fullkrug is coming off a season in which he recorded 28 goals and assists for one of Europe’s top clubs.
That’s quite some going given he was not always a starter.
Antonio got seven goals and two assists in 24 matches having yet again missed a large chunk of the season through injury.
Ings’ record? One goal and no assists in 28 appearances.
Stats show Fullkrug as influential as Bowen
For context, Fullkrug’s contribution at Dortmund last season was the same as Jarrod Bowen’s 28 goals and assists.
Still sceptical?
The West Ham target was deemed good enough to start for Dortmund in their Champions League final against Real Madrid.
And it was the least he deserved as his goals in the quarter-final against Atletico Madrid and semi-final against PSG helped the black and yellows get there in the first place.
Fullkrug is officially Germany’s best striker and notched two goals at Euro 2024.
Surely supporters can’t seriously think he would be in any way, shape or form a bad signing?
Even if West Ham got two good seasons out of Fullkrug he’d be worth every penny.
His all round play is just what the Hammers need with the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta in and around him.
The world’s leading football analysts WhoScored certainly rate the man West Ham are trying to sign.
They list his strengths as aerial duels, passing, finishing and headed attempts. All the boxes you want your striker to tick.
His weaknesses? Offside awareness and defensive contribution. Hammers fans will swallow that if he brings goals and assists.
If West Ham splash their money on Duran and he turns out to be a work in progress, then fans will ask why the club didn’t sign someone more proven.
By bringing in Fullkrug, the club are lessening the risk of another Gianluca Scamacca.
And it would buy West Ham time to find a younger forward who can potentially be at the club long-term.
It should also be noted that if the Hammers do sign a younger striker and he proves a huge hit, bigger clubs will come knocking.
So is it realistic to expect any forward to be at the club long-term in the modern game?
Fullkrug has all the makings of a Hammers cult hero.
To suggest he’d be bad business by West Ham is frankly unfathomable.
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