Report: Milan will send Fullkrug back to West Ham after 2026 loan spell

Report: Milan will send Fullkrug back to West Ham after 2026 loan spell

Reports on Tuesday indicate that Milan will not activate their option to buy clause for centre-forward Niclas Fullkrug, which means that the Germany international is set to return to West Ham at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Milan will not activate Fullkrug’s option to buy

Fullkrug joined Milan at the beginning of the January transfer window on loan with an option to buy, believed to be in the region of €5m. Milan had been without a natural or ‘traditional’ centre-forward at the time, with Santiago Gimenez out injured and Massimiliano Allegri often going with some combination of Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic or Christopher Nkunku up top.

MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 18: Niclas Fullkrug of AC Milan celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between AC Milan and US Lecce at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on January 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Since joining Milan on January 2, the German has made 16 appearances for the Rossoneri but has only appeared in the starting line-up on three occasions. His only goal for either Milan or West Ham this season came in a 1-0 Serie A victory at home against Lecce on January 18.

According to the latest updates, this return has not been enough convince Milan to spend €5m to make Fullkrug’s move permanent this summer.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Fullkrug will be sent back to West Ham at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, and that the Premier League side will in turn look to move him on again.