Füllkrug hits out at Dortmund: "Not the greatest sign of confidence"

During the summer, Borussia Dortmund sold Niclas Füllkrug to West Ham United for a reported €27 million.

At a press conference at the German national team camp on Wednesday, the striker opened up about his decision to leave the Black and Yellows.

"I always want to be transparent. I want the fans to understand me, but I also don't want to tread on anyone's toes. Of course there are different reasons why I thought about a transfer in the first place," Füllkrug told reporters.

He went on to hint that the club's decision to sign another striker in Serhou Guirassy from Stuttgart was an important factor.

"A transfer like the one BVB made was not the greatest sign of confidence," he stressed.

"In the end, it turned out that there were some attractive offers in the race alongside West Ham, which I looked at. I decided to make another dream come true. The Premier League is a very special place. I felt a tremendous conviction, a tremendous confidence".

Much has happened at Borussia Dortmund over the summer, with Edin Terzic replaced by Nuri Sahin as head coach and experienced players such as Marco Reus and Mats Hummels no longer at the club.

Commenting on the development at his now former club, Füllkrug said:

"I think the club lost a lot of identification in the summer and were ready to lose it. It's always up to the club to decide whether to extend contracts, sell players or how to negotiate. But other than that I can't say much. 

“I can only say what it looks like to me from the outside and it's there: a lot of new faces, a lot of new things, a new coach and it's also a process and we'll see where it leads. Despite all the euphoria, you should never judge too quickly, whether it's positive or negative,” said the West Ham striker.