West Ham United appear to have lost one potential solution to their Niclas Fullkrug problem with the Germany international still stuck in limbo.
If reports are to be believed, there is no shortage of interest in the Germany international this summer. But if interest is not in short supply, offers certainly are.
Much to the frustration of West Ham United, there has been very little movement yet surrounding their £90,000-a-week millstone.
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Niclas Fullkrug supposedly has admirers in Italy, the USA and the German Bundesliga. Yet proposals do not appear to have arrived from any of those purported suitors.
Now, with Sky Germany reporting that Werder Bremen have agreed a deal to sign Cedric Itten on a free transfer, a return to the Weser Stadium no longer appears on the cards.
Werder Bremen edge away from West Ham United’s Niclas Fullkrug
Fullkrug rose through the ranks at Werder and would play the best football of his career at the club between 2019 and his 2024 move to Borussia Dortmund.
Werder have frequently been linked with a move to bring Fullkrug back home.
However, with another experienced, physical number nine arriving in the shape of the 6ft 2ins Itten, it appears that the 2004 Bundesliga champions are going for the cheaper option.
Itten, once of Rangers, scored 15 league goals even as Fortuna Dusseldorf were relegated to the third tier last season.
Bundesliga outfit failed to sign Fullkrug in January
This comes four months after Clemens Fritz, head of football at the Weser Stadium, confirmed that Werder Bremen held talks with Fullkrug during the winter window.
The 33-year-old had already decided to join AC Milan by that point. Furthermore, his wage demands were beyond Werder’s reach.
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“We wanted to bring Niclas Fullkrug back,” Fritz told Sport BILD. “I spoke to him two or three times when he was at West Ham United. But we knew that, from an economic perspective, our chances were very slim.
“And, if a club like AC Milan were interested, it would not be feasible.”
The chances are that, even with Werder seemingly out of the picture, Fullkrug will have to accept a sizeable reduction on his current £90,000-a-week wages if he is to leave the London Stadium for good.
Serie A newcomers Venezia have been mentioned. It remains to be seen, though, if they can go where Werder could not.
AC Milan also ruled out a permanent deal after Fullkrug scored only once in 20 matches during a loan spell in the second half of last season.
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