Nuno Espírito Santo’s demand for attacking reinforcements after West Ham United’s 2-2 draw at Burnley has put the unresolved Niclas Füllkrug situation back into focus.
West Ham surrendered a two-goal advantage at Turf Moor before Nuno admitted the club still need additions, particularly in attack. The Hammers managed only two shots on target and had little attacking firepower available when Burnley began forcing them backwards.
Yet one of the most expensive strikers in West Ham’s history remains contracted to the club.
Füllkrug returned from an unsuccessful loan spell with AC Milan this summer but has been left without a squad number as West Ham attempt to find him another club. TalkSPORT reported before the Championship opener that the German remains outside the immediate first-team picture.
West Ham’s Füllkrug problem looks stranger after Nuno’s plea
Füllkrug’s future has been uncertain for months.
West Ham paid around £27m to sign him from Borussia Dortmund in August 2024 on a four-year contract. Injuries disrupted his first season before he joined Milan on loan in January, having scored three times in 29 appearances for the Hammers.
AC Milan subsequently decided against making that move permanent.
Reports have since suggested West Ham could accept a very small fee or even explore a release from the remaining contract to remove his wages from the books. ReadWestHam examined that possibility in June when Füllkrug’s exit situation exposed a wider problem with the club’s striker recruitment.
That decision was easier to understand before competitive football started.
Burnley changed the context.
Nuno clearly wants a different West Ham striker
West Ham are actively exploring another centre-forward despite already having Taty Castellanos, Pablo and Füllkrug on their books.
Joel Piroe has emerged as an alternative to Troy Parrott, while Jamie Vardy has also been considered. Nuno’s comments after Burnley made clear that another attacking addition remains a priority.
That says plenty about Füllkrug’s position.
The issue is no longer simply whether West Ham can recover money from a failed £27m investment. They are potentially willing to remove an experienced international striker from the wage bill while simultaneously entering the market to sign his replacement.
Füllkrug even scored during pre-season, with ReadWestHam’s academy striker analysis noting his involvement during the early summer programme.
It still did not appear to change Nuno’s plans.
Clean break may still be the right decision
Keeping Füllkrug purely because West Ham need another striker would not necessarily solve anything.
Nuno appears to want a different attacking profile, while a 46-match Championship campaign requires forwards who can remain available and handle an intense schedule.
The greater criticism would therefore be allowing the Füllkrug situation to drift beyond the transfer window without securing the player Nuno actually wants.
West Ham already know this investment has not worked.
After Burnley, they also know they cannot simply remove Füllkrug and leave the squad one attacker lighter.
If a free or heavily discounted exit finally arrives, the success of that decision will now depend almost entirely on who replaces him.
