Christian Pulisic gets squad boost as AC Milan reportedly secure Premier League contract following Gimenez’s injury

Christian Pulisic has nevertheless had a strong first half of the 2025-2026 season AC Milan‘s absence from European competition, with the club heading to the top of Serie A. As part of their plan to remain competitive, and with Santiago Gimenez’s injury situation that requires attention, the Rossoneri have reportedly signed the Premier League.

On his return to the Milan dugout, head coach Massimiliano Allegri has made the club one of the most defensively solid teams in Serie A, scoring just thirteen goals. However, target production has become a concern, with Pulisic currently the team’s top scorer, while injuries have also sidelined the USMNT star at timesprompting the board to address the attack.

According to Fabrizio Romano, AC Milan has secured the signing of the agreement Niclas Fullkrug from West Ham United for the second half of the 2025-2026 season. The German forward will join the Italian side on a six-month loan deal, filling the void left by Gimenez as he continues his recovery.

A starting striker who reached the UEFA Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund in 2024, Füllkrug established himself as Germany’s first-choice No. 9. West Ham paid €27 million to sign him for the 2024-2025 season, but persistent injuries have prevented him from making a lasting impact in the Premier League.

After dropping out of West Ham’s squad in recent games, Füllkrug was eager to move to AC Milan. He turned down two offers to return to Germany and is now set to sign his contract on Tuesday. To finalize the deal, the Rossoneri will cover his salary but will not pay a loan feewith the agreement including a non-obligatory purchase option between €13 million and €14 million (approximately $15-16 million).

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So far in the 2025-2026 season, Füllkrug has played just 413 minutes in nine appearances. averaging less than 46 minutes per match, without a goal or assist. With his profile as a true goal striker and traditional number 9, Allegri, unlike Pulisic, Rafael Leão or Christopher Nkunku, has added a type of attacker he traditionally prefers in his systems.

Gimenez will face competition once he returns

Santiago Gimenez has struggled to cement a place in Milan’s starting XI, due to inconsistent performances and persistent injury problems. In recent weeks, the Mexican striker has been struggling with ankle complaints Ahead of the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final against Napoli, Allegri confirmed Gimenez opted to undergo surgery to tackle the problem.

Although he started training again, the discomfort remained Gimenez is now facing a recovery timeline of six to eight weeks, with Allegri hoping “make sure you get it back as soon as possible.” With Füllkrug joining the squad as a very different attacking profile, the Mexico international will need to focus on regaining full fitness before he can compete for minutes with Milan’s latest attacking signing.