Füllkrug's return to Werder: from loan at Milan to Bundesliga bomber

In the cold of an afternoon in Bremen, Niclas Füllkrug again dons the Werder shirt, ready to show that the context can change a striker’s career. After a year of poor form at Milan, the German has already scored six goals in six appearances in the 2026‑27 Bundesliga.

The failure in Serie A

Signed by West Ham in 2024, where he had logged 29 appearances and three goals, Füllkrug was loaned with an option to buy to Milan last January. In the red‑and‑black he never managed to find his footing: he amassed 20 appearances, only three of them as a starter, for 647 minutes, with a single goal against Lecce. The statistics show 3.9 xG, 0.8 shots per game and a conversion rate of 6 percent.

The resurgence in the Bundesliga

The return to Werder Bremen, the club where he grew up and with which he won the top scorer title in the 2022‑23 season, sparked a transformation. In just 6 games and 486 minutes, Füllkrug has scored 6 goals (7 including the DFB‑Pokal), surpassing the 3.6 xG accumulated. He shoots 3.2 times per game and converts 32 percent of his shots, with 6 goals from 17 attempts, delivering two headed goals, two with his right foot and two with his left.

His impact is also reflected in the performance of Thioune’s side, which recorded three consecutive comebacks after falling two goals behind, securing a win against Augsburg and two draws with Borussia Dortmund and Paderborn. The victory over Leipzig on September 5 sparked a run of five games with at least one goal for the white‑green number 10.

Füllkrug has established himself as a leader of Werder, eager to erase last year’s 15th‑place finish. His presence in the box has returned to being felt, showing that sometimes all it takes is to find the home atmosphere to become great again.