“I think the desire has been made clear by all parties,” Werder Bremen head coach Daniel Thioune said of Niclas Füllkrug’s future.
Werder Bremen has officially stated its interest in securing a long-term future for German international Niclas Füllkrug following his prolific return to the Bundesliga on loan.
Head coach Daniel Thioune made it clear he wants Füllkrug to remain at the Weserstadion beyond the current campaign. The 33-year-old striker returned to the club on loan after a difficult spell in England and immediately revitalized an attack that lacked consistency in recent seasons.
Füllkrug delivered an immediate impact by scoring nine goals in his first nine matches of the season, which currently places him at the top of the Bundesliga goalscoring charts. “We as a club, me as a coach, and Niclas himself are very interested in continuing to work together beyond the summer,” Thioune told Transfermarkt.de in an interview reported by Sky Germany.
Despite Bremen’s clear intentions, negotiations face a major obstacle because Füllkrug remains under contract with West Ham United. The forward moved to the London Stadium from Borussia Dortmund in 2024 for a reported fee of 27 million euros, but West Ham's current position in the English second tier has changed the transfer.
Thioune acknowledged the financial and contractual hurdles ahead, noting that West Ham’s willingness to sell and the economic capacity of all involved parties will dictate the outcome.
Bremen club directors maintain a cautious optimism despite the strict financial constraints typical of Bundesliga clubs. Sporting director Clemens Fritz and managing director Klaus Filbry both previously expressed support for a permanent transfer.
Filbry said that while West Ham holds a strong position as the club holding the player’s rights, final decisions will hinge on sporting factors, including league placement. “Naturally, there is a third important party involved with West Ham. The category in which they compete will also influence things in the end. But even so, I am cautiously optimistic that we will end up securing his signing,” Filbry told Bild.
Bringing Füllkrug back to Bremen was a calculated risk that ultimately paid off for club executives. Thioune recalled initial skepticism surrounding the move, noting that the decision to re-sign the international forward “did not spark enthusiasm everywhere” when first proposed.
The striker’s exceptional scoring rate quickly shifted public opinion in his favor. Thioune praised the club’s transfer strategy and highlighted the work of sporting director Clemens Fritz in orchestrating the loan deal, stating that Füllkrug’s performances prove “Clemens Fritz made the absolute right decision.”
“Naturally, there is a third important party involved with West Ham,” Klaus Filbry told Bild regarding the ongoing discussions between the clubs.
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