Niklas Füllkrug’s move from West Ham United to AC Milan is perfect. The former Bremen and Dortmund player is moving to the current second-placed team in Serie A on loan until the end of the current season.
For the German international it is a new challenge, but also his last chance to recommend himself for Julian Nagelsmann’s World Cup squad. Because at West Ham United in the English Premier League nothing was going well for him recently, he didn’t play for the entire month of December and sometimes even just sat in the stands. Nagelsmann was in favor of a nomination for the ex-Bremen man “more match practice” demanded – the 32-year-old now wants to collect them in Serie A.
Competition is also big at Milan
Füllkrug is unlikely to get a guaranteed regular place at Milan either – the competition is fierce. In the Milan offensive, Füllkrug has to compete with, among others, ex-Dortmunder Christian Pulisic, Portuguese national striker Rafael Leao and ex-Leipziger Christopher Nkunku.
Füllkrug receives a lot of popularity from Germany. Former national team manager Oliver Bierhoff, who also played for Milan, told Gazzetta dello Sport: “Niclas is a classic center forward who can be very useful in a system with a central attacker. He is technically strong, never gives up and is also a leader with character and experience.” Bierhoff continues: “If Milan coach Massimo Allegri wanted a striker who could create space, show presence and score, then he found him.”
Klinsmann also believes in Füllkrug
Former national coach Jürgen Klinsmann also considers Füllkrug to be indispensable at the World Cup. On Sky he said: “You need a guy like him who will do his job in the box, whether you throw him in for the last 15 or 20 minutes or right from the start. He’s definitely a guy you have to have around.”
Klinsmann is convinced that the loan to Milan will be fruitful: “I think it’s a good step. Things didn’t work out the way he wanted at West Ham. He really wants to go to the World Cup. And he has all the quality to do so.”
“He has to draw the right conclusions”
Füllkrug doesn’t have much time to find his old top form again: In March, the DFB team has the important and groundbreaking test games for the World Cup squad in Switzerland (March 27, 2026) and against Ghana (March 30). Both “Hammers” Since his move from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2024, Füllkrug has only scored three goals in 29 competitive games; he last appeared on the pitch in the Premier League on November 30th. Injuries repeatedly set him back and he never got into a proper rhythm.
“Looking back, you have to say that the transfer didn’t work. We don’t have to sugarcoat anything.”his advisor Thorsten Wirth recently admitted. But if Füllkrug finds his form again, he will have a big supporter in Nagelsmann – understandable given his 14 international goals in 24 appearances. The national coach just said: “We all know what Niclas can do, now he has to draw the right conclusions.” This should now be the move to Milan.