It is far too soon to say that Niclas Fullkrug’s fate is set to be sealed, but the West Ham United striker’s eventual destination became that little bit clearer this week.
In midweek, it was reported that Fullkrug’s London Stadium exit was ‘on hold’.
But that was not a bad thing. Far from it. Just that the club who appear to have moved into pole position to rescue the striker from his West Ham United nightmare were putting negotiations on ice until they confirmed the appointment of a new sporting director.
Now, with former Eintracht Frankfurt chief Pirmin Schwegler officially signing on at the Volkswagen Arena, Fullkrug’s Bundesliga return should have moved another step closer to becoming reality.
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Schwegler, the man tasked with turning relegation-threatened VFL Wolfsburg back into an outfit capable of challenging at the summit, played alongside Niclas Fullkrug at Hannover from 2017 to 2019.
So with German publication Kicker reporting that Wolfsburg are ‘seriously considering’ bringing Fullkrug back to his homeland, the 2009 Bundesliga champions have picked a pretty solid candidate to lead their pursuit.
Pirmin Schwegler should help Wolfsburg sign West Ham United’s Niclas Fullkrug
As his agent Thorsten Wirth explained back in November, Fullkrug has just not settled in English football.
The physicality that helped him bully Bundesliga backlines for Hannover, Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund has been overshadowed by a lack of pace or mobility since that ill-fated £27 million move in the summer of 2024.
Wolfsburg, though, have scored only 17 goals in 11 league matches. It is felt that this is a side in need of some experience, in addition to a proven top-flight hitman.
So while ambitious, Champions League-chasing Stuttgart appear to have ruled themselves out of the race for a 33-year-old centre-forward, Schwegler is expected to push down on the accelerator and speed up Wolfsburg’s pursuit.
“It wasn’t a decision against the eagle [Frankfurt], but for the wolf,” Schwegler told BILD in a charismatic opening stanza. “We had exceptionally good conversations. I was quickly captivated, and my gut feeling led me to start here.
“I want to quickly gain insight, get to know the people, and approach it without preconceived notions. It’s not a one-man show.”
Schwegler was reluctant to give much away when quizzed on a Fullkrug reunion, though it may be telling that he did not feel the need to dismiss the rumours either.
“I’ve gotten to know many players in my career,” he added. “It makes no sense for me to comment on rumours now.”
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Frankfurt have chosen Newcastle’s Will Osula over Frankfurt
Kicker add that Fullkrug, who is likely to start on the bench again when West Ham host Aston Villa on Sunday, is still being discussed behind the scenes at Wolfsburg.
Schwegler, presumably, will give their hopes of signing a familiar face a timely boost.
Competition for Fullkrug’s signature appears to be much less fierce than the aforementioned Thorsten Wirth might have expected when he opened up on that difficult spell at West Ham back in November.
Schwegler’s former employers Eintracht Frankfurt are prioritising Newcastle benchwarmer Will Osula. According to BILD, Frankfurt already have an agreement in place regarding the Tyneside-based Dane, having come close to signing Osula for around £30 million over the summer.
The Eagles have turned over a profit in the region of £350 million through buying and selling exciting young forwards. Randal Kolo Muani, Hugo Ekitike, Luka Jovic, Andre Silva, Sebastien Haller and Omar Marmoush among them.
Osula, just 22, fits the bill a lot more than a man eleven years his senior then.
Over in Italy, Max Allegri is keeping the faith in Santiago Gimenez amid reports of a January swap deal involving Fullkrug and West Ham. Moreover, according to Tuttomercatoweb, early pacesetters Roma have no plans to sign Fullkrug at this stage either.
“Looking back, we have to say the transfer didn’t work out. There’s no point in sugar-coating it,” Wirth told the TOMorrow Business podcast.
“This always has to happen in cooperation with the club, but I believe it can make sense to change [clubs and leave West Ham].”
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