Harry Redknapp admits ‘jury out’ on Niclas Fullkrug in new West Ham wish

Niclas Fullkrug should only be judged once he’s back up to full fitness for West Ham United, Harry Redknapp has said.

Speaking on talkSPORT (16 December, 9:43am), Redknapp and Ally McCoist agreed that the Hammers need to see more of Fullkrug on the pitch before being able to write him off as a poor signing.

Fullkrug is yet to start a league match having had several injury setbacks since arriving from Borussia Dortmund for £27million, but the duo want to see him feature against Bournemouth on Monday.

McCoist said: “If it’s not Danny Ings I’d like to see the big lad Fullkrug, if he’s fit, get a run.”

Redknapp replied: “Yeah the big centre-forward who came in, he’s not been fit really, that’s the problem. He came in, picked up an injury, so we’ll still have to wait and see.

“The jury’s out on him still, I suppose, and we’ll have to see how he does when he gets fit and plays regularly.”

Niclas Fullkrug has plenty of ground to make up at West Ham

Even if Fullkrug does start at the Vitality Stadium on Monday evening, and finds the net in a much-needed win for the Hammers, he’ll still have some way to go to repay that £27m outlay.

Viewed as a less expensive alternative to Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran – whose transfer value has since gone through the stratosphere – Fullkrug has hardly proven to be a bargain compared to the Colombian.

However, having come off the bench to score in an otherwise disastrous 3-1 loss at Leicester City two weeks ago, Fullkrug is finally off the mark in claret and blue – and simply has to kick on from there.

That consolation strike at the King Power Stadium wasn’t enough to earn the German international a start against Wolves last time out, but playing from the off surely beckons with Michail Antonio out long-term.

Fullkrug can still become the centre-forward West Ham craved at the start of the summer window, but having made a less-than-ideal start in East London, the 31-year-old must now make up for lost time.

In other West Ham news, an out-of-favour star’s representatives have been approached over a possible January transfer exit.

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