Werder Bremen will do ‘everything in their power’ to sign Niklas Füllkrug on a permanent basis from West Ham United.
Home is where the heart is for the 33-year-old striker, who returned to his former club on a temporary basis in the summer transfer window.
He was no longer a part of West Ham’s plans following relegation, and a miserable loan spell at AC Milan last season had done nothing to convince them otherwise.
Several options were on the table, but he pushed for Werder, his former club. Indeed, he took a big pay cut to ensure the German club could secure his signature.
That’s proven to be a smart move so far as his loan is paying off handsomely. The striker has already scored four goals in five Bundesliga games and another in the cup. That’s put the question of what happens next in the spotlight.
Werder Bremen convinced
BILD report that one thing is very clear on that front, Werder will do ‘everything in their power’ to sign the striker permanently. But that could be a complicated matter.
If the decision was solely between them and Füllkrug, it would be a mere formality. He feels at home at the club and identifies with them 100%. Bremen also assume West Ham don’t want him.
Therefore, it would be down to wages, which Füllkrug helped fix in the summer. That was made easier though as his wages had been cut in half by West Ham’s relegation.
If they are promoted, they will return to €4m per year. Werder couldn’t get near to that. He’d need to take a much bigger cut to make the move happen.
West Ham fee question
Then it remains to be seen what West Ham want to do about a transfer fee.
Negotiations were already difficult on that front in the summer. West Ham dug in their heels as Werder tried to get a full transfer or a loan with an option to buy.
No talks have been held since. That is likely to change if Füllkrug continues scoring. But that sort of form could also tempt West Ham into asking for a bigger fee next summer.
The focus is on whether the Hammers cause similar issues next year. For now, Werder are simply enjoying the striker being back at his best. That’s already convinced them to do what they can to get him back permanently.
