AC Milan are believed to be pushing forward with a deal to sign Niclas Fullkrug from West Ham United, which has drawn a mixed reaction.
Fullkrug is one of the names being considered among the strikers that Milan could sign. Since moving to the Premier League, the 32-year-old striker has scored three goals – all last season – in which he made 18 appearances.
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This campaign, however, he’s yet to score. In eight games, five of which he started, Fullkrug has yet to find the net. His last appearance, incidentally, came in the final 12 minutes of the Hammers’ Premier League match on November 30th.
Milan have a problem up front, with Santiago Gimenez and Christopher Nkunku stuck on zero league goals. This team needs a centre-forward capable of propelling the team forward when needed, especially since neither Nkunku nor Loftus-Cheek managed to do so against Sassuolo.
For this reason, the Milan management has reportedly begun looking around ahead of January , with the aim of finding and capitalising on any opportunity should it arise. This could be Fullkrug, but given his record, are there many questions that he actually answers?
Looking at his injury history, Fullkrug missed 16 games for club and country in 2024-25 due to an Achilles tendon issue, then another 12 in the same season because of a hamstring problem. He missed four games this season with another muscle injury, so his physical reliability is another big question mark.
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Moretto’s words
A wide range of names have been linked in the past couple of weeks, from Joshua Zirkzee to Lorenzo Lucca. Matteo Moretto gave an update on Fabrizio Romano’s YouTube channel, and he strongly suggested that one name is in the lead.
“Milan are doing well in the league, they drew against Sassuolo, and are still among the top spots in the table. Allegri’s team is proving to be one of the most in-form teams in Serie A, but they’re clearly already working on it ahead of January, as they need to strengthen some positions, especially in front of goal and in attack.
“I’ve already mentioned some names, I’ve given you some percentages based on the feasibility of the deal, but today I’ll talk to you about Fullkrug, who Fabrizio previewed when he linked him to Milan again, because it’s a name that’s already been circulating in past transfers.
“In recent weeks, I’ve revisited this name, adding other options. But today I want to delve deeper into this topic: regarding this option, considering the costs, I can tell you that it’s certainly one of the ideal options for Tare, and he’s working hard on it, and will continue to do so in the coming days and weeks.
“Further direct contact is expected between Milan and West Ham, as well as between Milan and Fullkrug’s entourage. Tare’s goal is to secure the player as quickly as possible, trying to secure a striker whose characteristics and cost could be the most suitable for Milan.”
The alternative
What could Milan do instead then, given that they don’t have a huge budget for the striker position and can only realistically sign unwanted players at other clubs? Step forward Francesco Camarda.
In the summer, the decision was made to loan Camarda to Lecce and it has been an up-and-down story so far. He began the campaign as a starter, with Eusebio Di Francesco showing the kind of faith in the teenager that convinced the Rossoneri to send him there.
He remained the starting lineup in round two against Milan, but was forced off the pitch due to a muscle injury. From then on, Di Francesco almost always used him from the bench. Then, on October 28, he came on in the 65th minute against Bologna and scored his first Serie A goal.
That spark wasn’t enough to convince the coach, who waited exactly a month before reintroducing him to the starting XI against Napoli. Camarda took the responsibility of stepping up to the spot to convert a penalty but was thwarted by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.
He recovered well at international level, scoring three goals for Italy U21s, yet it hasn’t led to more minutes and the season risks being somewhat wasted. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is ‘personally monitoring’ his progress, ensuring his development is going to plan.
Having always been someone who demonstrates maturity well beyond his years, Camarda himself spoke openly about his start to the season and how he is developing despite not starting regularly.
“When you’re on the pitch with older players, you have to build physical and mental strength. So far, I’ve always managed to adapt to the pace pretty well, but it’s one thing to do that when you’re 13 and playing with 15-year-olds,” he said in an interview.
“It’s another thing to do it now at 17 in Serie A against 30-year-olds. It takes a major effort to adapt to the tempo of the game.”
So, could the directors thing about bringing him back six months earlier than planned, to get some minutes with the senior team? For now and for the future, it could be a better move than signing Fullkrug.
