‘Niclas Fullkrug decision made as West Ham join race for Andrea Pinamonti’
West Ham United are in desperate need of a new striker and appear to have highlighted Sassuolo’s Andrea Pinamonti as a potential target.
The Hammers finished 14th in the Premier League last season with just 46 goals scored — only Man United, Everton and the bottom three netted fewer.
Michail Antonio and Danny Ings’ contracts both expired this summer, leaving Niclas Fullkrug and the inexperienced Callum Marshall as the club’s only recognised strikers.
To make matters worse, West Ham also recently sold forward Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur.
West Ham eyeing Andrea Pinamonti deal
According to the Standard (15 July), West Ham are interested in signing Pinamonti as a solution to their striker crisis.
The 26-year-old scored 10 Serie A goals and 11 in 37 appearances across all competitions last season on loan at Genoa from Sassuolo.
That follows on from 11 goals in 38 Serie A appearances for Sassuolo in 2023/24, despite the club suffering relegation.
| 2024/25 Serie A stats | Andrea Pinamonti |
| Appearances | 36 |
| Goals | 10 |
| Assists | 1 |
Pinamonti has one senior cap to his name for the Italian national team following extensive exploits at youth level, and the striker holds aspirations to once again represent his country in the future.
It’s understood there has been no club-to-club contact about Pinamonti so far. However, West Ham may not have the luxury of waiting around, with Brentford and multiple Bundesliga outfits thought also to be interested in the striker.
Pinamonti move could spell the end for Niclas Fullkrug
Fullkrug turns 33 during the upcoming campaign, so even under positive circumstances, West Ham would be looking to future-proof their No.9 position.
However, Fullkrug’s time at the London Stadium has been anything but ‘positive’.
The Germany international has endured numerous injury problems, which limited him to just 20 appearances across all competitions last season, registering only three goals and two assists.
It’s understood West Ham are open to selling Fullkrug this summer, despite the striker being at the club for just one season.
But despite his struggles in the Premier League, the player boasts a formidable record in Germany, while he also has 14 goals in 24 caps to his name at international level, so he’ll be sure to bring offers of a return to his homeland.
West Ham should also still be able to recover a decent fee for Fullkrug, thanks to the player having a contract running until the summer of 2028.