Niclas Füllkrug doesn’t have a future at West Ham. He wants to stay in Italy and keep playing for AC Milan after this season at least; that’s what Milan News is saying. Now it’s just a question of whether Milan actually wants to keep him around for good.

Milan can sign him if they want. So far, he’s only scored once in seven games, so he still has some convincing to do. He’s not exactly tearing it up, but there’s still time for him to make his case.

He’s technically under contract with West Ham until 2028, but let’s be honest, neither side wants a reunion. West Ham already brought in two new strikers. There’s no way Fullkrug gets much game time if he goes back. It just makes sense for him to move on and find a permanent home elsewhere.

West Ham wants to move him on, too. They don’t want him sitting on the bench taking up space, especially since he’s not in their plans anymore. Back in the winter window, they slapped a price tag on him before letting him leave on loan.

So, can Fullkrug convince Milan to keep him? He’s got experience and could add something to their squad, but it’s up to Milan to decide if he’s worth it. West Ham paid €26 million for him, but they won’t get close to that now. They’re probably looking at a loss.

Fullkrug needs a fresh start, and staying in Italy could be perfect for him. Regular minutes at Milan might help him rediscover his old form. He’s shown what he can do in Germany, and there’s no reason he can’t make an impact in Milan, too.

Now it’s all down to what happens over the next few months. Füllkrug has to step up, play well, and give Milan a reason to make the deal permanent.

Cesc Fabregas opened up about what he told his Como squad before they stepped up for penalties against Napoli. He’s been there; he knows what that pressure feels like.

Now Como gets Inter in the Coppa Italia semi-final. The last time Como made it this far, it was 1986. They knocked out Verona, who were Serie A champions. This time, they outlasted Napoli after a 1-1 draw at the Maradona, then held their nerve in the shootout.

Martin Baturina got Como in front, but Antonio Vergara pulled Napoli level just after halftime.

Honestly, Fabregas is dragging this team somewhere special.

It’s huge, it’s historic, but Fabregas isn’t letting anyone get carried away. “There’s another big game coming up. Save the celebrations for the end of the season,” he said.

It’s tough to come down from a night like that, though. They put on some music for ten minutes in the locker room, let it sink in, then flipped the switch. The weekend’s coming, and they want another win.

There was a nervy moment when Jacobo Ramon escaped a second yellow after fouling Rasmus Hojlund. Fabregas saw the risk and pulled him off right away.

“If he makes another foul, he’s off,” Fabregas said. “He’s only 20, still learning. First pro season. When you’re that young, you don’t feel pressure the same way, but sometimes you relax too much.”

He didn’t want to risk playing a man down.

The penalties had their drama. Lukaku missed, Butez stopped Lobotka, and Milinkovic-Savic came up big against Perrone.

Fabregas was honest about the performance. “We were good in the first half, not so much in the second. That keeps happening. We need to fix it.”

He liked that Como came out to attack, not just to cling on. They defended differently, dropping a little deeper because Napoli’s got talent and they can open you up if you’re too aggressive.

“To survive in Serie A, you need a striker like Hojlund,” Fabregas said. Napoli had their injury problems, but so did Como earlier in the year. The squad’s young, but they’re going for it.

At times, they switched to five at the back. Fabregas reminded everyone, “We’re Como, not a big club; we have to lock things down sometimes.”

Before the penalties, Fabregas told his players to soak it all in. Yeah, it was tense, but he wanted them to enjoy it.

“I thanked them for giving me this chance as a coach. Most of them had never faced something like this. I wanted them to believe in themselves, to enjoy it. I’ve been in Napoli’s shoes, the favourites. That brings its own fear. We were also lucky to go first in the shootout; that helped. I thanked them again; they gave everything. Besides Moreno, Morata, and Alberto, our average age is 22.”

Fabregas knows what’s next: stay humble, keep grinding. That’s three wins in a row for Como.

The semi-final is two legs.

On the other side, it’s Atalanta against either Bologna or Lazio.