Werder Bremen are confident that they can reach an agreement with West Ham to sign Niclas Füllkrug on a permanent basis.
That’s at least according to CEO Klaus Filbry. He’s provided a positive update on the potential transfer for Werder fans.
Füllkrug returned to his former club on loan this summer. The deal does not include a clause to make it permanent next summer.
Indeed, the striker had to make concessions to get the move over the line. That included taking a big pay cut to convince West Ham to sanction the switch.
That effort has paid off for him and Werder so far. Füllkrug has taken the Bundesliga by storm since his return, with nine goals in nine Bundesliga appearances to date. He’s also managed three goals in two games in the DFB Cup.
He’s the top goalscorer in the division, even outperforming recent Ballon D’Or winner Harry Kane in the numbers too. That’s led to the awkward question of what happens next.
Transfer question
If he continues on his current trajectory, a permanent move becomes a necessity for Werder. But they would need to find an agreement with West Ham first.
The Hammers, for their part, could look to utilise his rise to their advantage. Afterall, they spent big on the striker in 2023 and saw little return on their investment. This could be an ideal opportunity to rectify that situation.
Werder are certainly planning talks. Their director of football even admitted as much earlier this month.
“We know what we have in Niclas, and Niclas knows what he has in Werder. Naturally, we would be delighted if he remained in Bremen beyond this season,” he said.
“The most important thing, first and foremost, is that the player feels comfortable—and I believe that is the case.
“The next step is to enter into a dialogue with West Ham. We will certainly hold discussions to that end. Ultimately, we also have to look at what the financial package would look like.”
CEO confidence
Now, their CEO wants to provide some positivity for Werder’s fans. He insists he can see a situation wherein everyone gets what they want.
“Of course, there is a third key party involved: West Ham,” he told BILD.
“The league they end up in will also play a role. But I remain cautiously optimistic that we might be able to secure a permanent signing.
“He feels extremely comfortable here. His family is nearby, he’s at a club that means a great deal to him, and he has access to a physiotherapy team that knows him inside out.
The question is what route the various parties to take to a permanent transfer. The possibility of terminating his deal at West Ham last summer was proposed but, given it had two years on it, was not an option for Füllkrug at the time.
Things could look different next summer. He’ll only have a year on his deal at that point. But BILD state it will depend on what situation West Ham find themselves in.
If they fail to secure promotion, negotiations would be significantly easier. That’s largely due to his salary currently being halved from the €4.5m he earned in the Premier League.
Either way, it seems Werder are growing in confidence about a permanent deal. Their upper management certainly don’t want to suggest that there isn’t hope.
Sport Witness Analysis: Niclas Füllkrug
