Niclas Fulkrug Gatot! Nuno Ultimatum: West Ham Don’t Just Buy Expensive Players!

Gilabola.com – Nuno Espirito Santo insists that West Ham need additional strikers in the January transfer window, but recruitment decisions must not repeat costly mistakes from the past. Improvements in performance have begun to appear since Nuno came to replace Graham Potter, but the Hammers’ front line still lacks a truly consistent finisher.

Callum Wilson showed his sharpness with two goals against AFC Bournemouth, but at the age of 33 and with a long injury history, West Ham cannot rely on him to appear fully throughout the season. This situation makes the need for a new striker even more urgent.

Fullkrug Will Be Released, West Ham Eyes New Attacker

Niclas Fullkrug is expected to be released in January after a period that fell short of expectations at the London Stadium. Signed for £27 million from Borussia Dortmund last year, the German striker has only scored three goals and has been sidelined most of the time due to injury.

Learning from this failure, West Ham is now being linked with a number of new targets. The Hammers News report mentions two names on the radar: Inter Milan striker Pio Esposito and Cruzeiro bomber Kaio Jorge.

Both players have a price tag that is not cheap. Esposito is thought to require an investment of more than £42 million, while Jorge could be worth around £22 million – a figure West Ham are reportedly prepared to pay.

Esposito struggled to get playing time in Serie A, but he recorded one goal and two assists from three starts in the Champions League. On the other hand, Jorge appeared impressive in Brazil with a score of 21 goals.

Despite their impressive record, West Ham are again reminded that excellence in other leagues does not automatically guarantee success in the Premier League—a trap that has befallen themselves and a number of league rivals.

Nuno wants a striker who has been tested in the Premier League

Fullkrug’s failure is proof of how difficult it is to adapt for an outside striker who comes with a big reputation. A similar situation is being experienced by Arsenal with Viktor Gyokeres and Manchester United with Benjamin Sesko, who has not been consistent even though he has appeared productive in previous seasons.

West Ham’s position in the standings also means their choices are increasingly limited: they have to recruit a striker who can make an immediate impact. Players who need six months to adapt are considered irrelevant if the Hammers have to fight to get away from the relegation zone.

Therefore, Nuno’s focus is more on names who have proven capable of scoring goals in the Premier League, even though they may not be as attractive as outside options. Such options are very limited, but still available.

Gabriel Jesus is one of the candidates. He is close to being fit again at Arsenal, but with intense competition up front, playing time is not guaranteed. The Brazil forward needs game time ahead of the World Cup and has been linked with a possible move to West Ham.

Ivan Toney is also on the radar. The English striker is said to be considering returning to the Premier League in the short term and is of interest to a number of clubs. Even Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee could be an option, because he is familiar with the league climate even though his goal collection this season is minimal.