Mohammed Kudus is not a particularly popular name around West Ham United these days, that Tottenham Hotspur switch forever tainting his legacy.
But there are shades of the Ghana international, particularly with regards to his journey towards Premier League notoriety, in the path another Scandinavia-based starlet may soon be taking.
Hammers News have been told that Niclas Fullkrug will only leave if a replacement is lined-up in January. The likes of Joshua Zirkzee and Ivan Toney have been linked, while Brazilian duo Kaio Jorge and Pedro were ‘offered’ to West Ham United via intermediaries.
Franculino Dju of FC Midtjylland, though, is another talented centre-forward who seems destined to occupy plenty of column inches over the coming weeks.
Much to the frustration of Midtjylland head coach Mike Tullberg.
Midtjylland coach Mike Tullberg insists West Ham United target Franculino Dju won’t be sold
The Mirror claimed a few days ago that, after Nuno Espirito Santo made a striker a top priority for the January transfer window, West Ham could pick up where they left off at the summer’s end.
Danish publication Bold reported that West Ham made a £13 million bid for Franculino Dju before the September deadline. The Mirror are not quite so forthright in their own reports, but they do indicate that there was some truth to those earlier claims.
Whether Midtjylland soften their stance in time for January remains to be seen. But, having implored his employers to retain the services of their top scorer, the aforementioned Tullberg will be praying that any new offers from the London Stadium suffer the same fate.
“I have told the club that I want my players to stay,” Tullberg told Campo. “So I don’t assume anyone will change [clubs].”
In addition to West Ham, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich were heavily linked with the Guinea Bissau international. Tullberg believes that Franculino, still only 21, is likely to join a club of Borussia Dortmund’s stature before making the leap to an elite institution, however.
This is where the similarities with Mohammed Kudus come in. Kudus represented Midtjylland’s Danish rivals Nordsjaelland after arriving from Ghana before leaving for Ajax, one of the most stable stepping stones in the European game.
“There are no FC Midtjylland players who will move to Bayern Munich,” Tullberg says. “They will move to Dortmund, if that is the case!”
Who would you pick to replace Niclas Fullkrug at West Ham?
Franculino would bring ‘incredible potential’ to the Premier League
Though West Ham’s reputation for failing to make the most of their centre-forwards preceeds them – Fullkrug the latest in a long line of flops – Franculino does feel like a good fit for a side who appear to be embracing a sort-of Brighton-style approach to recruitment.
El Hadji Malick Diouf has big ambitions, for instance, but the 20-year-old left-back obviously felt that West Ham could set him on the pathway to the very top.
Franculino, who has plundered 19 goals in 26 games this term, may come to a similar conclusion.
“He is a different type of footballer,” Rodrigo Prieto, Midtjylland’s assistant coach, tells Cadena Ser. “One of those born to be close to the goal. And he is creative. Many say he’s a bit eccentric, but he’s always creating something. He always gives off a sense of danger.
“He has incredible potential and no ceiling. The good thing is that we have been able to keep him, but I think this will be his last season here.”
Even Tullberg, determined to lead Midtjylland to the Danish Super Liga title, would probably have to admit that his free-scoring centre-forward is rapidly outgrowing a smallish pool.
Franculino reached a half-century of goals in Denmark when he rattled in a sublime curling effort in a 3-1 Europa League victory over Celtic. He now has 52 in total from just 99 appearances.
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