Nuno Espirito Santo confirms West Ham United star is facing uncertain future | OneFootball

Report: Nuno Espirito Santo confirms Niclas Fullkrug remains in West Ham plans despite exit talk

Nuno Espirito Santo has reaffirmed that Niclas Fullkrug is still part of his plans at West Ham, even as speculation grows around the striker’s future in the Premier League.

Fullkrug’s representative, Thorsten Wirth, recently admitted that the striker’s £27 million move to the London Stadium has not gone as hoped. Speaking on the TOMorrow Business Podcast, Wirth was candid about the situation, saying: “Looking back, we have to say the transfer didn’t work out. There’s no point in sugar-coating it. This always has to happen in cooperation with the club, but I believe it can make sense to change something there.”

The remarks have naturally intensified rumours that the 32-year-old could seek a move away from West Ham in January. With Germany’s World Cup campaign on the horizon, Fullkrug is believed to be keen on securing regular minutes to boost his chances of national team selection.

Nuno focused on recovery and fitness

In response, Nuno was keen to downplay any talk of a January departure, instead choosing to emphasise the player’s ongoing recovery. “I understand everybody does their job in this industry. My job is to coach, and [from] what I see, we arrived and Niclas played the first two games, unfortunately got injured, now he’s coming back. If we can get him healthy and ready to go, it’s another option for the team,” he said.

Fullkrug has endured a difficult period since joining the Hammers from Werder Bremen last summer, missing 31 games through injury. His physical setbacks have limited his ability to adapt fully to the demands of the Premier League. Despite that, Nuno remains hopeful that once fit, the German can rediscover the scoring instincts that made him a standout in the Bundesliga.

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Injury updates and squad concerns

Nuno confirmed that Fullkrug will not feature against Burnley this weekend as he continues his rehabilitation from a thigh injury. He also provided a positive update on defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, who is progressing from a hamstring issue. “Both of them are improving, starting to work at different stages, Dinos is still [doing] individual work, Niclas is progressing with the group, [but] not [in] all the parts of the training session. Now comes the international break. After that, I’m positive that everything’s going to be okay.”

The West Ham boss also admitted that a few players had picked up minor knocks after their recent fixtures but remained tight-lipped about who might be unavailable. “Some of them, unfortunately [picked up injuries]. After a football match there are always knocks. There are always problems that we have to deal with during the week, but let’s see who we still have tomorrow and who is available for the match. I can’t confirm [who], I don’t want to go much further on that.”

Veteran goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is confirmed to miss out due to a back problem, leaving Nuno with fewer options between the posts.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Fullkrug’s future, Nuno’s message was clear: every player has a part to play as West Ham look to climb the Premier League table. The Portuguese coach is known for his pragmatic approach, and with key players returning from injury, there remains quiet optimism around the London Stadium.

Fullkrug’s immediate priority will be fitness, but his longer-term future may depend on whether he can translate his prolific Bundesliga form to the Premier League. If he can rediscover his confidence in front of goal, he could yet become an important figure for Nuno’s West Ham side heading into the second half of the season.