West Ham transfer news: Niclas Füllkrug looked like a genuine option for Lazio only a few days ago. That picture has changed. Transfer Feed reports that the Serie A side now rate Benfica striker Franjo Ivanovic more highly, with the 22-year-old climbing above the Germany international on their shortlist before the window closes.
West Ham transfer news: Lazio shift attention after fresh striker update
It’s a notable switch. Lazio still want another striker, yet their recruitment staff appear more convinced by Ivanovic’s age profile and room for development than Füllkrug’s proven experience. While the German has spent years delivering in top-flight football, the club now seem willing to invest in a younger forward with greater resale potential.
That leaves Füllkrug in another awkward position. He needs a permanent move after an unsettled campaign, but one possible destination has already drifted away as Lazio reshape their plans.
West Ham transfer news: One difficult season has changed everything
Numbers tell part of the story. During the 2025/26 league campaign, Füllkrug played 28 matches across England and Italy, scored once and failed to register an assist. His spell at West Ham produced eight Premier League appearances, 411 minutes and no goals before he joined AC Milan on loan in January. Across 20 Serie A matches, he found the net only once in 662 league minutes.
Those returns have damaged his market value. West Ham have already made their position crystal clear after relegation to the Championship. They removed him from first-team training, handed his number 11 shirt to another player and openly pushed for a sale rather than another season in east London.
West Ham transfer news: Italy still offers his best route out
Even so, dismissing Füllkrug completely would ignore qualities that haven’t disappeared. He has scored 14 goals in 24 appearances for Germany, while his physical style, aerial ability and penalty-box instincts still suit plenty of Serie A sides searching for a reliable focal point.
Venezia already appear much further down that road after agreeing personal terms with the striker, although negotiations with West Ham continue over the transfer fee. The Hammers paid around £27 million in 2024 and naturally want to recover part of that investment, whereas interested clubs point straight at his one-goal campaign to argue for a lower price.
Read: West Ham pushing for 26-year-old free agent after breakthrough talks
That gap probably closes only one way. West Ham can’t justify paying Premier League wages to a player frozen out after relegation, while Füllkrug has little reason to spend another season outside the first-team picture when a move worth around €4 million to €6 million would suit everyone involved.
