Bundesliga expert and ESPN commentator Derek Rae has sensationally claimed that West Ham have overpaid for summer signing Niclas Füllkrug. Rae was speaking exclusively to the Hammers Chat website where he made the claim, which will not make comfortable reading for West Ham fans. Normally, one could dismiss this type of sensationalistic comment as clickbait or headlines, but Rae is a seasoned Bundesliga commentator with encyclopaedic knowledge of German football.
As we reported yesterday, ESPN’s top man in Germany had already stated that for the Hammers to get the best out of Füllkrug, he would need either a strike partner or players in close support.
But when asked if West Ham had overpaid for the German international, Rae replied, “Yes, they probably have overpaid. In Germany, there is a price, then there is a Premier League price.”
“At 31, Dortmund would have been happy with that fee, without a doubt. Also, Füllkrug did not feel appreciated there.”
However, Rae did go on to say that if Hammers’ head coach Julen Lopetegui can get his tactics right and build the team around the big German, then West Ham have a very good player on their hands.
The last couple of days have provided a fascinating insight into the abilities of Füllkrug from an outsider who has the advantage of having watched the player for his entire career.
Rae’s messaging is clear: if West Ham want to get the very best out of their £27 million signing from Borussia Dortmund, they will need to get crosses into the box and have players near him.