The German scored twice in Bremen’s 3-2 win away to Mainz on Saturday, taking his Bundesliga tally to eight goals in seven matchdays and extending his scoring run to six consecutive league games. Both goals came from the penalty spot.

It is becoming an increasingly uncomfortable comparison for Nuno Espirito Santo, who made it clear during the summer that Fullkrug had no place in his plans.

And with West Ham’s current strikers struggling to convince, the decision is looking more questionable by the week.

Fullkrug’s latest brace piles pressure on Nuno

Fullkrug’s two penalties helped Werder Bremen secure a thrilling away victory, maintaining the striker’s position at the top of the Bundesliga scoring charts.

Meanwhile, West Ham are struggling to get anything like the same output from their own forwards.

Castellanos was particularly disappointing against Southampton, producing a performance that merited a 1/10 rating in our assessment. Pablo and Joel Piroe have also struggled to deliver the consistent goalscoring West Ham desperately need in their push for automatic promotion.

The Hammers’ 3-2 defeat was a painful reminder that goals at one end cannot always compensate for problems at the other. And watching Fullkrug continue to find the net in Germany only heightens the frustration.

At this rate, the German could be forgiven for feeling that his former club are watching every goal with increasing regret.

West Ham source admitted the optics were terrible

Hammers News previously revealed that Nuno made the decision to get Fullkrug out of West Ham as part of his summer rebuild.

A leading source inside West Ham told us the manager had made his position clear to the new-look board and recruitment director Nils Koppen.

Worse still, the Fullkrug problem is not one that Nuno can fix in January even with a change of heart because there is no recall option in the loan deal with Bremen.

“The manager had his reasons and just wanted Fullkrug out as part of his summer rebuild,” the source exclusively told Hammers News earlier this week.

“There is no recall on the loan, but he wouldn’t have him back even if there was.”

The source also admitted that loaning out a player who has since become the Bundesliga’s leading scorer, without receiving a loan fee, was not a good look for the club. Werder Bremen are covering Fullkrug’s wages, but West Ham have no recall or early termination clause in the agreement.

That means Nuno cannot simply change his mind in January, even if the goalscoring crisis continues.

Middlesbrough show why a striker matters

West Ham’s predicament is especially frustrating because the Championship promotion race is proving exactly how valuable a reliable goalscorer can be.

Middlesbrough surged to the top of the table after a 5-1 demolition of Bolton on Friday, with striker Will Lankshear scoring twice to take his tally to the top of the English top four divisions’ scoring charts this season.

The lesson is clear: promotion contenders need forwards who turn chances into goals, rather than players who leave supporters wondering when the next finish will arrive.

West Ham have created opportunities, but Pablo, Castellanos and Piroe have repeatedly failed to make the most of them. Fullkrug’s form makes that weakness impossible to ignore.

Nuno looks to have made a costly West Ham mistake

There were legitimate reasons for moving Fullkrug on. His fitness problems and lack of mobility in the Premier League meant he struggled to establish himself at West Ham, and some supporters were happy to see him leave.

But others argued that the Championship would suit him far better, allowing his physical presence and finishing to shine without the same demands on pace.

They are now watching their argument play out in Germany.

Football legend Lothar Matthaus has also backed Fullkrug’s credentials for Germany, suggesting he has rediscovered the warmth and appreciation he lacked at West Ham. Some would argue that making a striker feel valued is precisely what a manager should do.

Nuno has earned credit for West Ham’s strong run of results, but the decision to rule out Fullkrug completely is becoming harder to defend as his current forwards continue to struggle.

The German may not be deliberately trolling his former club, but every goal is another reminder of what West Ham chose to leave behind.