Niclas Fullkrug: Werder Bremen want to keep West Ham striker

Niclas Fullkrug’s West Ham future is back on the agenda. Werder Bremen head coach Daniel Thioune has said on the record that his club want to keep the striker beyond the end of his loan.

But the Hammers hold the contract, and that is where this story gets interesting.

Fullkrug returned to Bremen on a season-long loan in August and has been in excellent form. According to Sky Germany, he has scored nine goals in nine Bundesliga appearances this season and leads the scoring charts. For a 33-year-old who struggled in England, it is quite a turnaround.

What Thioune said about Niclas Fullkrug

Thioune spoke to Transfermarkt, and his comments have been reported by Goal, Sport1 and Eurosport. In comments translated from German, he made no secret of what Bremen want.

“The wish is, I think, registered from all sides,” he said. “We as a club, I as a coach and Niclas himself are very interested in working together beyond the summer.”

He was also honest about the obstacles, and raised the question of West Ham’s position: “What do they want, what are they ready and able to do?”

That sounds like a coach who knows money will decide this. Bremen are not a club that can spend big fees.

Bremen bosses are on the same page

Thioune is not a lone voice. Managing director Klaus Filbry told Bild he was hopeful. “I am nevertheless cautiously positive that it can work out with a signing in the end,” he said.

Filbry also pointed straight at West Ham’s situation. “The league affiliation also plays a role in the end,” he said.

Sporting director Clemens Fritz has been more cautious. He has said Bremen would welcome a permanent deal, but stressed that needing three parties to agree makes it harder.

Why West Ham hold the cards

This is the key detail. Fullkrug is under contract at West Ham until 2028, and German reports say Bremen have no option to buy in the loan deal. So Bremen can’t trigger a clause in the summer. They will have to agree terms with West Ham.

West Ham paid around €27 million to sign him from Borussia Dortmund in 2024. His form could strengthen their negotiating position, but his age, his wages and the time left on his contract will all shape any fee.

Wages are part of the picture too. Sky in Germany reports that Fullkrug’s salary at West Ham depends on which division the club are in, and he has already taken a pay cut to return to Bremen.

That brings it back to West Ham’s season. Scott Parker is trying to win promotion from the Championship, and our look at why West Ham’s ninth place is misleading shows how much work is still to do. As Filbry suggested, the division West Ham are in is likely to matter.