West Ham United were keen to bring Bundesliga favourite Nicolai Muller to the Premier League during the peak of his powers.
Former Bundesliga favourite Nicolai Muller has admitted to Tribal Football that he turned down the opportunity to join West Ham United during Slaven Bilic’s spell in charge at the London Stadium.
About four years ago, the diminutive little winger was one of the most exciting, watchable talents in the top flight of German football.
Muller was frequently the buzzing bright light in an increasingly dire Hamburg side, producing 25 goals and assists in the Bundesliga between 2015 and 2017.
And it is no coincidence that one of Europe’s sleeping giants finally succumbed to relegation a year after the two-time Germany international left for Eintracht Frankfurt.
Muller was often linked with a move to the Premier League before he headed to the Commerzbank Arena and, speaking to Tribal Football, the now-32-year-old has confirmed that a switch to West Ham was on the cards.
“Yeah I was close. I don’t know if it was 2016 or 2017,” says Muller, who is now in Australia with Western Sydney Wanderers.
“I had an offer from West Ham and I talked to them, but yeah, then I wanted to stay in Germany and play there.”
BILD reported in 2017 that both the Hammers and Southampton were eyeing up a potential £9 million move for Muller, before he joined Frankfurt on a free transfer instead 12 months on.
A series of injuries curtailed his Bundesliga career from then on, however, and he must be tempted to wonder how things might have developed if he had travelled across the Channel instead.
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