Niclas Füllkrug could find himself on the way out of West Ham United in the January transfer window, with the striker now seen as ‘hapless’.
That’s according to Kicker, who report that West Ham may already be giving up on their big summer signing.
Füllkrug joined West Ham in a €27m deal from Borussia Dortmund in the summer and was supposed to be the new star striker in Julen Lopetegui’s reshaped squad.
Instead, the 31-year-old has barely been seen at the London Stadium, with injuries limiting him to 63 minutes in three Premier League games as a substitute and 74 minutes as a start in the League Cup against Bournemouth.
After suffering an Achilles injury in September, Lopetegui has acknowledged that he is unsure of when he will return, which is a “serious problem” for the Hammers. After a terrible start to the season, they are in dire need of Füllkrug and his goals in the squad.
However, there seems to be a growing perception that Füllkrug is not compatible with the “quick, short passing game” that Lopetegui has implemented at West Ham.
Although it’s too soon to draw any conclusions, Kicker claims that the former Borussia Dortmund attacker “seems to have confused himself.”
According to reports in England, Füllkrug may want a “fresh start” at the same time because Lopetegui is reportedly looking for a replacement in January.