Niclas Fullkrug is widely expected to leave West Ham when he returns from his loan deal at AC Milan.
Fullkrug joined Milan on loan in January with an option to buy, but they are not interested in keeping him permanently.
The Hammers are also not prepared to give him a second chance to impress at the London Stadium next season.
West Ham are now likely to make a significant loss on Fullkrug as he returns to the Bundesliga this summer.
Why do you think Niclas Fullkrug failed?
West Ham ready to offload Niclas Fullkrug ‘almost for free’ amid Wolfsburg interest
While West Ham and AC Milan have given up on Fullkrug, two German teams remain interested in signing him.
Journalist Florian Pettenberg has reported that Wolfsburg will “do everything in their power” to make a deal happen.
This would require Wolfsburg to stay in the Bundesliga, as they currently face a relegation play-off against a second division side.
Meanwhile, Bundesliga 2 club Schalke could enter the race if they are promoted to the German top-flight in the weeks to come.
He would be an ideal replacement for 40-year-old former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko in Gelsenkirchen.
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Plettenberg also suggested West Ham would be willing to lose millions on Fullkrug just to see him leave.
Even though the Hammers spent £26m on him less than two years ago, they are prepared to let him walk for next to nothing.
“They would let him go almost for free; they want him off the payroll,” Plettenberg said on Sport 1’s ‘Doppelpass’, via GOAL.
West Ham’s priority is clearly just to remove Fullkrug’s salary from the wage bill and reinvest it over the summer.
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