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Nat Hayward BBC Sport journalist West Ham's recent history of signing strikers has been mixed, and that is being generous. Tens of millions has been spent on names including Gianluca Scammaca, Sebastian Haller and Javier Hernandez yet Michail Antonio has admirably clung on to the number nine role despite seemingly perennial attempts to phase him out. Now, the latest arrival to lead the Hammers' line under new manager Julen Lopetegui is Niclas Fullkrug - a bruising 6 ft 2 in striker signed for £27m from Borrussia Dortmund. The 31-year-old Germany international spent his career between the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga playing for Werder Bremen, Greuther Furth and Nurnberg and Hannover 96 before a return to Werder in 2019 of the back of a career best 14 top-flight goals with Hannover. Always a consistent, committed and fearless target man, Fullkrug's career renaissance began in the 2021-22 season where he scored nine goals and registered four assists propelling Werder to an immediate return to the Bundesliga. In the 2022-23 season he scored ten goals in 14 matches which earned his first Germany call up - aged 29 - for the World Cup in Qatar in which he scored against Spain and Costa Rica. He ended the season with 16 goals and five assists, helped Werder survive, sharing the Bundesliga golden boot and capturing the attention of Borussia Dortmund. His single season in Dortmund bought another 12 goals and six assists in the league and ended with a start in the Champions League final after scoring three times and assisting twice on the road to Wembley. Fullkrug then scored twice during hosts Germany's run to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, despite not starting a match. A late bloomer at the top level, he seems to be entering his peak in his early 30s and has form and momentum behind him. He has worked his whole career for a crack at the big time and has seized every opportunity thus far with both hands. Fullkrug will certainly not be daunted by the physicality of the Premier League and never overly relied on his pace so age is unlikely to be a major factor in that respect. Expect towering headers across the goalkeeper to be a major fixture at the London Stadium next season. West Ham have strengthened their forward line with the signing of German striker Niclas Fullkrug and we want to hear your opinion. Are you happy with the signing? What do you hope the former Dortmund man can add to the squad? Let us know here, external New West Ham signing Niclas Fullkrug is "delighted" to sign for the club and to play in the "best league in the world. " Speaking to the club's official website he said: "I’m delighted to be here, and I can’t wait to get out on the pitch with my new teammates, " said Fullkrug. "I think the Premier League is the best league in the world, and for me it is the right time to move over to England and play for a big Club like West Ham. "I have been thinking about West Ham for a long time now - I know the technical director Tim Steidten very well, because we have history at Werder Bremen together, and I have watched some games and seen how much quality there is in the team. "The chance to play under the Head Coach [Lopetegui] is also really exciting. His playing style is important for me, and I am confident that under him I will be able to perform at my best, and score lots of goals. "I love being close to supporters, and I’m really looking forward to meeting the West Ham fans. I have a very good feeling at the moment – I’m strong, fit and in shape – and I just want to get out there and start playing for them. " New signing Crysencio Summerville says his conversation with head coach Julen Lopetegui convinced him to sign for West Ham. The 22-year-old winger told the club website that it was Lopetegui's straight talking that made him "very positive" about the move away from Leeds United. "I spoke to the Technical Director [Tim Steidten] and to the head coach, and I just felt very positive about this move. "Lopetegui told me that he remembered me from when I played against him, and that he was an admirer of me. He said he wanted to work with me, and that he thought I could make a contribution to the team, which was obviously nice to hear. "He also said that he thought he could help me with my development, which was good. He is a straight talker, which is something I really like, because it means I know what he expects of me. After speaking to him I was sure he was the right person to help take my career to the next level. " Summerville has joined on a five-year-deal with the option of a further year. We asked for your views on the Hammers' signing of Crysencio Summerville. Here are some of your comments: Dave: He’s a young man who is quick and skilful. Hopefully he’ll be a good asset to the team, provided he’s played in the correct position. Tony: This is a fantastic signing. We’ve had a void on the left of midfield for a while now. He’s still only 22-years-old and hopefully we will see him flourish. Darren: I feel this is a great signing similar to Jarrod Bowen from the Championship. He should go from strength to strength. Ahmed: We need to sign strikers. £25m is a lot of money for someone who is unproven. But then someone who is proven would cost five times that amount so, probably worth the gamble. He could team up well with and also learn from the more experienced Niclas Fullkrug. Joe: Summerville looks such an exciting signing, reminds me of when we got Bowen when he was making waves at Hull. If he can have the same impact, we will be onto a winner! Andy: As a Hammers fan living in Leeds, I know how much the Leeds fans loved Summerville, and with good reason. Having seen a lot of Leeds matches last season, I commented that I would love to see West Ham sign him in the summer, as his pace, willingness to drive at defenders, and his creativity are exactly what we need much more of. Good luck to him. Crysencio Summerville is a Hammer. The 22 year-old, who won the Championship player of the year award last season, has made the switch from Leeds for £25m plus add-ons. What do you make of this signing, West Ham fans? Are you happy to add Summerville to your attack, or did you have your eye another player? Let us know your thoughts on Summerville here, external We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's game between Crystal Palace and West Ham. Here are some of your comments: Crystal Palace fans Charlie: For the first time we have strength in depth and a really good young manager capable of improving players. There is a lot more optimism about the club and the future looks good. Glasner is capable of attracting top players to the club and along with Freedman we can buy quality. Cannot wait for new season to start. Rich: Always nice to keep the unbeaten record going and to win a trophy is a bonus. Glasner seems to get the best out of all of the players. This is without Eze, Guehi, Munoz, Doucoure, Wharton, Mateta, Lerma, Johnstone, França and Sarr. Let's hope the Olise money can still add to the squad and we get into top 10! Riad and Kamada seem good additions. Malcolm: It was a great game and we showed some really good press in attack. Edouard was fantastic, as was Ayew. Very impressed with Riad and Kamada, both look like classy players. I think we can all agree the Stateside Cup is harder to win then the Champions League, so the lads have done us proud! West Ham fans Colin: We need to really get it together. After watching the two games against Wolves and Palace, I can’t see us surviving the Premier League this season. Charlie: Our team needs to change as the rate we’re playing at is absolutely horrendous. It is shocking. Len: Looks like we shall be in serious trouble next season with our defence. A new centre-back is required urgently, plus our full-backs are too slow. We may have a stronger midfield but without a leader we will be at the wrong end of the table. All out now for a new centre-back, right-back and a strong ball winner in midfield. Charlie: I feel like nothing has changed since the Wolves defeat. It was literally the same and we made so many mistakes. Our defence is terrible at the moment. I’m genuinely worried for the new season ahead. Simon Stone Chief football news reporter Manuel Pellegrini spoke to BBC Sport on Real Betis' pre-season tour in San Diego about his career and life at West Ham. "Coming back to England with West Ham was maybe not my best decision, but I did it because I wanted to return to the Premier League, " he explained. "The first season was not bad. But the club was exactly the opposite of Manchester City. They had two or three bad moments and they wanted to change the manager. "They knew I left a lot of things to go to West Ham. I had a contract in China. I changed a lot of things. The aspiration to fight for better started in the first year I was there. They invested more money. "For different reasons you can have bad moments. But in that moment, as a manager, you must be sure the owners will continue. They did so many things for me to go to West Ham, but the first thing that went wrong, they sacked me. That is not the style of club that I like. "The West Ham fans are unbelievable - 50, 000 every game with the passion for the team. I have no complaints about the fans because they were always with me. "Looking back, when I finished in China, if I waited a little bit more I could have had another club. But West Ham were keen and convinced me. " Read the full interview here Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug, 31, has completed his West Ham medical ahead of his move from Borussia Dortmund. (Sky Sports), external Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui after the defeat to Crystal Palace: "The game was to show us that we have 15 days in front of us to keep on working very hard and to try to evolve the players we have as soon as possible, and the new players, too. "We have 15 days to keep working and keep going to put the team in the best way for the first step that is, of course, the first Premier League match against Aston Villa. "Of course, we have to improve on a lot of thing. We have to analyse and ensure we are able to do better, to defend better and don’t concede easy goals. I think we have to change this. "We are working hard and we know that we have worked very, very hard, so it’s possible that the legs were a little bit tired. "We have to progress and we need to progress. " Crystal Palace beat Premier League rivals West Ham 3-1 to win the Stateside Cup. What did you learn from this game? Palace fans, let us know your thoughts on the match, external What did you make of the performance, Hammers supporters? , external West Ham are closing in on the double signing of Borussia Dortmund and Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug, 31, and Leeds' Dutch forward Crysencio Summerville, 22. (Sky Sports), external West Ham have agreed personal terms to sign right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 26, but have yet to agree a fee with Manchester United, who want £18m rather than the £10m offered. (Sky Sports Germany), external Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column Simon Stone Chief football news reporter West Ham are close to completing a deal for Leeds forward Crysencio Summerville. The Hammers have been linked with numerous players this summer as technical director Tim Steidten tries to reinforce Julen Lopetegui’s squad. However Summerville, last season’s Championship player of the year, has emerged as the London club’s primary target. Sources say talks are at an advanced stage and personal terms are not expected to be a problem. Simon Stone in San Diego Chief football news reporter New West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has spoken to Pablo Fornals to get some insight into what he can expect at London Stadium. Fornals spent four-and-a-half years at West Ham, making 203 appearances for the club before joining Real Betis for £6. 8m in February. He still keeps in touch with many of his former team-mates, and Lopetegui used his knowledge once he discovered he would be replacing David Moyes in the summer. "I was called by the new manager a few months ago - he just wanted to know about how West Ham works, " Fornals told BBC Sport. "He is Spanish, I am Spanish and I had spoken with him a few times before, so he just wanted to know about the players. "I am still connected with them so, to be honest, it is not a bad thing. "I love them. I speak to them as many times as I can - the physios and the players - but they are not [just] players - they are my friends. " The burning question: what did he tell Lopetegui? "That it is a nice club - a family club, " he said. "There are a lot of very good people there. He asked me about the players, [but] that is his job. I try to help everyone. " Simon Stone in San Diego Chief football news reporter Pablo Fornals may be a Real Betis player now, but for some supporters he will always be a Hammer. Fornals spent four-and-a-half years at West Ham United before joining the La Liga side for £6. 8m in February. He was part of the squad that qualified for European football three years in a row and he came on as a substitute in the famous Conference League final triumph over Fiorentina in Prague. It seems he made quite an impact during his time at the club. "I'm in San Diego and the only person who has stopped me here was a West Ham fan, " he told BBC Sport. "For me, that is unreal. "Every single post I put on my Instagram, there are more responses from West Ham fans than any others. "I know I was in a club with great staff and players, but to still be remembered by all of the fans is such a great thing for me. " While that night in Prague will go down in West Ham folklore, Fornals cites the Europa League extra-time comeback win over Sevilla, the three-goal hammering of Lyon in France in the following round, and the Conference League semi-final triumph against AZ Alkmaar - when he scored the winning goal - as his favourite moments for the club. It is clear the affection goes both ways. But, in the end, he just wanted to play football more often. "I had been on both sides with David Moyes, when you are one of the untouchables and when you are not one of the 11 starters, " he said. "I was 27 years old and feeling good, so I felt I could find minutes in another place. " Pat Nevin Former footballer and presenter Players like Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojlund are already suffering from hamstring injuries two weeks before the season even starts - and they say the modern preparation regimes are better, safer and more scientific! They probably are better. At least the players do not have to go through some of the borderline sadistic routines that previous generations did. Back then, after a decent length of summer break, pre-season meant working incredibly hard over a short period of time to get yourself back in top condition fast. Sprinting up and down gigantic sand dunes against the clock until many players were physically sick was de rigueur, alongside other road runs and track work. Here is the weird part: I used to look forward to that, the way a class swot looks forward to exams. Being smaller, lighter and a committed long-distance runner all my young life, even before I became a pro footballer, it was, if not exactly a piece of cake, then certainly much easier for me than most of the rest of the team. I have asked many modern managers what they would prefer to do in a perfect world during their pre-season. The most common answer is "just about anything other than what we are forced to do now! " Sign up to the Football Extra Newsletter here West Ham United are on the verge of pulling out of the race for 22-year-old Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville. (Talksport), external Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column © 2024 BBC. 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