Tim Steidten continues to justify West Ham flop – Plenty of excuses for failed transfer

Tim Steidten has continue to defend his decision to buy Niclas Füllkrug for West Ham United, insisting outside factors ruined the move.

DeichStube have an interview with the former director of football today. He’s asked about various subjects, including Füllkrug.

The German striker departed West Ham this month on loan to AC Milan. That deal includes an option for it to be made permanent in the summer.

He’s looking to get his career back on track in Italy following a miserable few years at the London Stadium. The striker move to London from Borussia Dortmund in 2024 after an impressive year with the German side.

His goals were key as they made it to the Champions League final. He was also the joint top-scorer in the Bundesliga that year. But he never got going with the Hammers.

A series of injuries, including major Achilles and hamstring injuries, limited his time on the pitch. He spent several months out during his first season and never managed to recover from that. He managed just three goals in 29 appearances before his departure.

Ahead of that move, his agent went public admitting that they’d made the wrong choice joining West Ham. Steidten, who was central to it, believes there were other factors at play.

“We brought Füllkrug in back then because we saw him as exactly the kind of pivotal striker he was,” he said.

“He was someone who, in addition to his great athletic ability, was also a leader in the dressing room and possessed a great hunger for success. However, he was unlucky enough to get injured very early in the season.

“In the Premier League, due to the enormous intensity, it’s difficult to come back from an injury, as you hardly get any time to ease back into it.

“On top of that, there was a lot of turmoil at the club. There were managerial changes, and I also left.

When trusted figures are gone, it doesn’t make it any easier for a player to perform consistently.

“Therefore, it was a combination of several factors that unfortunately led to things not working out for him and West Ham as everyone had hoped.

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