Suggestions that a move to Serie A could be the springboard upon which West Ham United misfit Niclas Fullkrug could re-launch his career now appear more than a little misguided.
The veteran striker failed to find the net for the 14th time in 15 appearances for AC Milan as the Rossoneri suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of fellow Champions League-chasers Napoli on Sunday night.
Milan’s dwindling Scudetto hopes have now surely gone up in smoke for good. So too, it seems, have West Ham United’s chances of shifting Niclas Fullkrug to the seven-time European champions on a permanent basis.
Why do you think Niclas Fullkrug failed?
West Ham United loanee Niclas Fullkrug has been a ‘flop’ in Serie A
Milan can reportedly sign Fullkrug for just £4.3 million this summer. An option-to-buy clause destined to go un-triggered.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, ‘Fullkrug’s fate at Milan is already sealed’ following a further 73 Serie A minutes without hitting the target.
The Germany international made his second successive league start away to Napoli. But, like in the 3-2 win over Torino before the international break, he was subbed off just past the hour having failed to end a goal drought which runs all the back to January 18th.
“He’ll be sent back to West Ham in the summer,” TMW write, labelling Fullkrug ‘yet another flop’ at a Milan side who also saw very few returns from the likes of Santiago Gimenez, Alvaro Morata, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku, who also failed to impress alongside the German at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
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Veteran coach Max Allegri defended Fullkrug and Nkunku at full-time. Not everyone is quite so forgiving, however.
“The attack is truly heartbreaking. Milan lacks courage,” writes Milan News reporter Antonio Vitiello, highlighting Fullkrug’s ‘technical limitations’.
“They need to clean up the front line and start over seriously with quality players.”
Unfortunately for West Ham, their attempts to get Fullkrug and his £100,000-a-week-plus pay packet off the wage bill will have to ‘start over’, too.
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