Tim Steidten expresses his thoughts about world-class summer signing

Since joining West Ham from Borussia Dortmund in a £27.5 million in the transfer window, Niclas Fullkrug hasn't had a convincing start to the new season. Manager Julen Lopetegui opted to play Fullkrug as a second half substitute in the first three Premier League fixtures and after that, Fullkrug picked up an achilles injury during last month's international break. While the 31-year-old was initially expected to return for the Chelsea match, Fullkrug is still sidelined with the injury as he is aiming to return to full fitness for the upcoming league fixtures.

Due to Fullkrug's unavailability in the previous five matches, West Ham's attack struggled to score more goals before getting some momentum in the recent 4-1 win. On the other hand, West Ham transfer target Jhon Duran has gone strength to strength at Aston Villa, scoring six goals in ten matches this season. Therefore several West Ham fans are unsatisfied with Fullkrug's signing due to the fact that he is yet to adapt to the Premier League and has had frequent injuries previously as well.

Tim Steidten expresses his thoughts about world-class summer signing

Recently, West Ham technical director Tim Steidten expressed his thoughts about Fullkrug's struggling start to his West Ham career and highlighted the importance of giving time to a new signing after his arrival, saying,

"You definitely need time to find yourself. We have also brought in nine new players, it took a certain amount of time to integrate them. It all depends on what kind of characters you have, so this is the reason why we brought in a great player in Niclas."

- Tim Steidten

Steidten talked about the fact that West Ham brought in nine new players in the transfer window and it took some time for players such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean-Clair Todibo to integrate into the first team squad. A few weeks ago, there were rumours surrounding Todibo's lack of playing time at West Ham, however in the recent 4-1 win over Ipswich Town, Todibo showcased his world-class quality as a promising centre-back in European football.

Therefore, West Ham need to gradually integrate Fullkrug into their matchday squad after his return and should give him the starting striker position after a few good performances in the upcoming matches.