West Ham’s summer signing, Niclas Füllkrug, has given a candid interview to a German YouTube channel, where he admitted that Tim Steidten was the key reason he joined the Hammers.
Speaking on the DeichStube YouTube channel, Füllkrug briefly discussed his move to West Ham United in the Premier League and how last season’s mammoth campaign with Borussia Dortmund may have impacted his start at the London Stadium.
The striker spoke of the challenges he’s faced with injuries since moving to London and his eagerness to prove himself in the league. As expected, Füllkrug gave the usual platitudes about West Ham being a big club with a passionate fanbase etc, though he was keen to stress that the football culture in England feels different from Germany.
However, it was when pressed on his reasons for joining West Ham that the German international made his most revealing insight into his £27m transfer.
Füllkrug said: “Tim Steidten was a decisive reason why I ended up negotiating with West Ham in the end. He was the one who instigated the initial contact. We know each other very well, and Dortmund didn’t really need to sell. In the end, a particular fee was necessary, and that’s the Premier League – they’re able to pay.”
This revelation aligns with what Hammers Chat learned in their exclusive interview with Bundesliga expert Derek Rae, who revealed that most believed West Ham had overpaid for the striker.
