Nuno’s Elite Hunt Puts Fullkrug on the Brink at West Ham

Nuno Espirito Santo hasn’t had the welcome parade in east London. A gritty draw with Everton followed by bruising defeats to Arsenal, Brentford and Leeds has left West Ham looking blunt up top and short on belief. With January looming, the Portuguese coach is sharpening the scalpel — and the striker department is first on the operating table.

From Potter’s exit to Nuno’s dry start

Graham Potter paid the price for a limp opening to the season, and in came Nuno after his own Nottingham Forest spell ended in acrimony with the hierarchy. Since then, the Hammers have managed just two goals in four matches. It’s not just a wobble — it’s a pattern, and one that simply won’t do in the Premier League grind.

The No 9 curse claims another

West Ham’s number nine jersey has felt jinxed for years. Danny Ings, Gianluca Scamacca, Sébastien Haller — big reputations, bigger expectations, underwhelming returns. Now Niclas Fullkrug, signed for around £27m from Borussia Dortmund and on £112,000 a week, has stumbled into the same trap. The 32-year-old has delivered just three goals in 24 appearances and can’t catch a break with injuries. At this point, you’d say his West Ham career is hanging by a thread — and January could be the snip.

Nuno’s brief: an ‘elite’ focal point

Word around the corridors is that Joshua Zirkzee is firmly on the January shortlist. The Manchester United forward hasn’t nailed down a guaranteed starting berth at Old Trafford, but the tools are all there: slick link-up play, tidy finishing, proper hold-up work, and the vision to bring runners into the game. In short, he looks tailor-made for how Nuno likes his centre-forwards to operate — a modern pivot who knits attacks rather than merely chases lost causes.

Nuno’s recent use of youngster Callum Marshall hints at a willingness to promote mobility and aggression, while the lack of faith in fellow senior option Callum Wilson suggests any new arrival would be walking in as first-choice. If Zirkzee comes in on serious wages and a chunky fee, the message is unmistakable: the attack gets rebuilt now.

What it means for Fullkrug

Fullkrug’s latest injury setback has drained any lingering patience. A club can absorb one misfiring striker; it can’t carry two when the goals have dried up. If Zirkzee lands, there’s no logical route back for the German. The economics, the age profile, and the manager’s style all point the same way — time to call it.

January verdict

West Ham don’t need a tweak; they need a spearhead. Zirkzee ticks the boxes Nuno craves, and his arrival would close the book on Fullkrug’s London chapter. The Hammers faithful will want urgency and clarity in the next window — get the deal done early, settle the shape, and start turning territory into goals.

If you’re weighing up the transfer chatter and fancy a flutter on where the goals will come from next, our best betting sites roundup is a handy companion while the rumour mill spins.