Niclas Fullkrug has become a part of West Ham United’s bomb squad ahead of the 2026/27 season, with the East London club not even assigning him a squad number.

According to a report by BILD via Sport Witness, Niclas Fullkrug is the subject of interest from Venezia. The Winged Lions are keen on reinforcing their offensive unit by signing a striker in the ongoing transfer window, and they have their sights set on the out-of-favour 33-year-old West Ham United striker.

Per BILD, Fullkrug had a summer move to Venezia “lined up” and “jumped at the chance to move to Venice”, even though he would have had to take a “major” pay cut. However, while the two parties had already struck an agreement on personal terms, West Ham blocked the move after the Serie A minnows deemed the asking price as excessive.

Niclas Fullkrug and his West Ham struggles

Niclas Fullkrug has endured a drastic fall from grace since joining West Ham United from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth €30 million in August 2024. The 33-year-old arrived at the East London club amid significant expectations after a productive spell with the Bundesliga giants. Yet, persistent fitness issues plagued the experienced striker for a season and a half before he joined AC Milan on loan earlier this year.

Fullkrug’s challenges continued at AC Milan, as he managed only one goal in 648 minutes of game time across 20 outings in all competitions. As a result, the Rossoneri did not think twice before choosing not to exercise the purchase option to keep the German striker at San Siro beyond the 2025/26 season. Despite this setback, the Serie A links have not disappeared.

Will Fullkrug continue his time in Serie A this summer?

Reports in April linked Niclas Fullkrug with Fiorentina. Then, Lazio joined the race to sign him. Clubs in other leagues have also shown interest in the former Borussia Dortmund striker, but the Serie A links have re-emerged with Venezia’s push for a summer deal.

Venezia’s interest in Fullkrug is understandable, even though the squad has over half a dozen strikers. Giovanni Stroppa needs an injection of experience in his group, leading the newly-promoted Serie A club to hold talks with the veteran German striker.

However, with West Ham blocking the move to Venezia due to the “excessive” price tag deemed by Venezia, it is clear that a deal will only materialise on the East London club’s terms, particularly after assigning Fullkrug to the “bomb squad”.