West Ham spent the best part of £27m on striker Niclas Fullkrug and, so far, have had nothing in return.
Sure, the German striker scored a consolation goal in a match that was long lost, but the main takeaway from his time in East London has been his three months out injured.
Clearly, the club have managed his rehabilitation as carefully as they could, but now is the time for the former Dortmund man to step up and prove his worth.
Julen Lopetegui must start Fullkrug against Bournemouth tonight, where points are at a premium with the Premier League top 13 beginning to slip away into the distance.
The Hammers head coach might well be tempted to start with Jarrod Bowen up front, but if he does, what was the point of signing Fullkrug?
Bowen showed how much damage he can do when he drifted to the right wing against Wolverhampton Wanderers last week, having failed to trouble the Midlander’s’ defence from a central position.
With Michail Antonio out for the foreseeable future, this is precisely the time for the German international to step up. He may not have been Lopetegui’s pick as striker, but West Ham can’t afford to have a £27m player on high wages as the third-choice forward, which is exactly what he’ll be if Bowen continues up top in Antonio’s absence.
The Hammers are unlikely to beat Bournemouth for pace, so perhaps a bit of guile and brawn might do the trick—and that’s precisely what Fullkrug was purchased for. The starting line-up is going to be fascinating for this one
