West Ham could still give Niclas Fullkrug another chance | OneFootball

West Ham have been linked with two of the best young No. 9's in European football this coming summer window, as Lille star Jonathan David will be a free agent while Moise Kean has been turning heads since leaving Turin for Florence.

The Hammers just aren't getting enough offense and are unable to convert their chances, as summer 2024 signing Niclas Fullkrug has scarcely been able to get on the pitch due to recurring injuries. As of right now, West Ham's leading goal-scorers are winger Jarrod Bowen with seven and then veteran defensive midfielder Tomas Soucek also clocking in at a surprising seven, having just grabbed the lone goal in a 1-1 draw with David Moyes's Everton Toffees.

West Ham need to go out and get a striker who can start weekly for the foreseeable future, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily done with Fullkrug. Though his first season has been a disaster and, at 32, it's unlikely he has a whole lot left in the tank, he could stick around for another season in the hopes that his 2024/25 was just down to bad luck.

West Ham may have to make the best out of Niclas Fullkrug situation

Claret and Hugh recently reported that there's no guarantee Fullkrug will head back to the Bundesliga, where he had a great deal of success for both Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen, becoming a starter for the German national team at Euro 2024 whlie reaching the Champions League Final that same year.

West Ham already have Michail Antonio as an established backup striker, so not being able to offload Fullkrug could make it harder to sign an expensive, well-known No. 9 like Kean or David. But it doesn't make it impossible either.

Fullkrug has three goal contributions in just three starts this season for the Irons, and we are talking about a striker who reached 20 goal contributions in back-to-back Bundesliga seasons. He is proven at the Champions League level, too, which is more than can be said about virtually every other player in the West Ham squad.

So if West Ham are not going to be able to recoup their fee for Fullkrug anyway, they might as well let him run out there next season and hope he can show something - staying healthy would be the biggest key for the well-rounded, physically imposing forward. That doesn't mean West Ham should stay pat with Fullkrug and Antonio at the 9, but keeping around Fullkrug may not be the worst idea in the world either.