Just 6 days of the January transfer window remain, and all of Leeds United‘s proverbial eggs have been placed into one basket in their search for an attacker.
4 days ago, Wolverhampton Wanderers rejected a bid from Leeds for star striker Jorgen Strand-Larsen. The offer was an initial £33m with a potential of a further £6m in add-ons but Wolves deemed it not good enough for a mid-season departure.
According to David Ornstein via The Athletic, the striker and his agent still “like the idea of a move to Elland Road if he departs Molineux”. Wolves currently value the Norwegian at £40m.
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Will Wolves Sell Strand-Larsen Before The Transfer Window Shuts?
The general feeling is that Strand-Larsen will leave Molineux as they almost certainly head to the Championship next season, but the question is when. The club’s fight for relegation is mildly on after a recent upturn in form. They are still 17 points away from safety, but losing their most important player at this stage would derail the progress they have made under manager Rob Edwards to keep their Premier League status.
Naturally, the move would depend on Wolves getting a replacement striker in before 2 February, but feels rushed and the probability of attracting a game-changing striker given their position in the Premier League seems unlikely.
After rumours swirling of a departure last summer, Strand-Larsen instead signed a five year contract with an option of an additional year. Therefore the club won’t feel rushed to sell the striker and would be happy to keep him.
They will almost certainly make a profit on the former Celta Vigo striker, having purchased him for £23m. For Leeds, leaving the transfer saga until the summer runs the risk of letting other clubs circle in and express an interest in the player.
‘Strong Interest’ From Premier League Rival
Ornstein reports that United are the only club seriously interested as it stands, having been the ‘only club so far to submit a bid for Wolverhampton Wanderers striker’. However, Crystal Palace have ‘strong’ interest – who may be losing Jean-Phillipe Mateta. The domino effect of that transfer, potentially to Nottingham Forest, could give a clearer indicator whether The Eagles move for Strand-Larsen in the coming days.
If Leeds want their man, they need to act swiftly and raise their offer by another £7m to entertain Wolves to sell. Following Monday night’s 1-1 draw against Everton, the Whites are very much still in the relegation battle despite an impressive run of results since December.
Leading the Toffees 1-0 at one stage, it further drives the conversation of a striker who could kill the game off in dominant spells such as the first half, where Leeds could have put the result to bed with more efficiency.
La Liga and soon-to-be World Cup experience on his CV, Strand-Larsen offers an exciting touch of quality to Farke’s side – and most of all feels very gettable given Wolves’ vulnerabilities this campaign.
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