Horst Heldt, who worked with West Ham United flop Niclas Fullkrug during his time at Hannover, has had dealings with Serie A giants AC Milan before.
Heldt was at the helm of German sleeping giants Schalke when Kevin-Prince Boateng joined the Gelsenkirchen outfit from the Rossoneri back in 2013.
If Niclas Fullkrug can make the same impact the former Tottenham and Portsmouth enigma made for Schalke, the veteran striker could prove to be a rather inspired piece of business. For now, though, the reaction from Milan fans is one of caution.
Fullkrug arrived in Italy on Tuesday ahead of his medical at the seven-time European champions. Just to emphasise the lunacy of spending £27 million on a 30-plus centre-forward with plenty of miles on the clock, Milan could sign Fullkrug permanently for just £4 million should he impress on an initial loan spell at San Siro.
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Horst Heldt backs Niclas Fullkrug as West Ham United flop nears AC Milan move
Speaking to Milan News, though, Heldt is confident that Fullkrug can make a difference in a somewhat stately-paced league where veteran centre-forwards have tended to thrive over the years.
“He will undoubtedly do well at AC Milan,” says Heldt, who now works as the Managing Director Professional Football at Union Berlin. “Niclas is a fantastic player with a great personality. He’s a striker who can see the goal and is a great header.
“The signing of Fullkrug is a brilliant piece of work on the Rossoneri’s part.”
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Nuno Espirito Santo blames injuries for wrecking the former Dortmund star’s Hammers career. In 15 months on English soil, he has started only eleven Premier League matches.
Heldt, though, believes a miserable return of three top-flight goals should be contextualised by those fitness issues, a lack of regular service, and the difficulties adapting to the breakneck speed of the Premier League.
“I think it’s always essential to get to know someone before judging them,” protests Heldt, who saw a young Fullkrug mark his debut Bundesliga campaign with 14 goals for Hannover in 2016/17.
“Jumping to conclusions makes no sense. It takes patience. You need to first analyse what kind of injuries he’s suffered and how long it took him to recover.
“We shouldn’t overlook important aspects like the style of football he’s had to adopt, his playing time, and the minutes he’s played. All in all, he’s shown with his actions that goals are in his blood. AC Milan fans will be happy to welcome a great finisher who can score, but only if he’s served!
“If he’s served in the box, he’ll score. If he’s not, he won’t.”
Fullkrug will hope to emulate Oliver Bierhoff’s Scudetto success
Heldt is reminded of Oliver Bierhoff. Fullkrug’s compatriot joined Milan at the age of 30 back in 1998, and quickly overcame any concerns over his longevity by winning Serie A’s Golden Boot in his maiden campaign.
“It’s possible he’s a late bloomer,” Heldt adds. “I can say we’re talking about a player who can never be underestimated. He has a great mentality, discipline, a nose for goal, and knows where to position himself to put the ball in. Milan have moved very well.”
“I think he’s more dynamic than Oli Bierhoff, who had great success in Italy. Fulle has what it takes to follow in his footsteps in Serie A.”
Fabio Capello speaks out on mixed Milan season under Max Allegri
West Ham will have just one senior centre-forward – Callum Wilson – when Fulham make the trip across London on December 27th. Not including Callum Marshall, of course, though Nuno could give a few youngsters a chance with a number of players unavailable.
Former England boss Fabio Capello spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport this week about Fullkrug’s impending switch to the San Siro.
“Milan are dropping points and conceding goals; that’s not [Massimiliano] Allegri-like,” Capello said, his old employers sitting second in the table but having scored ten fewer goals than leaders Inter.
“Could [Fullkrug] be the solution? It’s a big question that requires a big answer. It’s certainly difficult to play without a number nine. Fullkrug is an old-school striker. There must have been a consultation at the club to assess who would be the right man.
“But it’s not just a question of a centre-forward.”
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