West Ham United have lodged their first ‘official’ bid for Borussia Dortmund striker Niclas Fullkrug, according to reports.
The Hammers were originally understood to be targeting Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran this summer, but appear to have walked away thanks to the Colombian’s £40m price tag.
Technical director Tim Steidten has now turned his attention to Dortmund target man Fullkrug.
The Hammers may face competition from Atletico Madrid for the 31-year-old striker, but according to German journalist Florian Plettenberg, it’s West Ham who have made the first move.
Plettenberg reports that West Ham have lodged an ‘official’ €25m-plus-add-ons offer but although Dortmund haven’t yet rejected the bid, they are understood to be demanding €30m all-in — with West Ham potentially unwilling to go that high.
The report also states that Fullkrug is ‘keen to join West Ham with immediate effect’, but if Dortmund’s demands remain too high, the Hammers will turn their attention back to Duran.
??? EXCLUSIVE | West Ham have made an official offer of €25m (with add-ons) for Niclas #Füllkrug! #BVB have not yet rejected this offer, but they are looking for €30m all-in. #WHUFC won’t pay that.
The 31 y/o is keen to join West Ham with immediate effect. He can sign a… pic.twitter.com/pnzHgHa0Cz
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) August 1, 2024
Fullkrug is something of a late bloomer when it comes to top-flight football, with his first season notching double-figure goals coming in 2017/18 when he scored 14 times in 34 Bundesliga appearances for Hannover.
Counting the likes of Nurnburg and Greuther Furth among his former clubs, Fullkrug joined Dortmund from Werder Bremen last summer and scored 15 goals in 43 appearances across all competitions — helping Die Schwarzgelben finish fifth in the Bundesliga and reach the Champions League final.
Fullkrug boasts an incredible record at national team level, scoring 13 goals in 21 caps for Germany so far since making his debut in November 2022.
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