Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Vitor Pereira has responded to the Jorgen Strand Larsen to Newcastle United speculation.
Wolves manager Pereira has admitted that “every player has a price” as Newcastle ramp up their pursuit of striker Strand Larsen.
Widespread reports on Tuesday night, including from our sister publication the Express & Star, suggest that Newcastle have seen a second bid - worth a guaranteed £55 million - rejected for Strand Larsen. It’s understood the Magpies saw a £50 million offer rebuffed on Monday, so the stakes are rising.
Seemingly unfazed by the transfer saga, Strand Larsen came off the bench to score twice on Wednesday night as Wolves came back from 2-1 down to beat West Ham United 3-2 in the Carabao Cup second round. The Norway international proved why Newcastle are so hot on signing him as he took just 11 minutes to net his brace after coming on in the 73rd.
Wolves boss responds to Strand Larsen transfer question
After answering several questions on his team’s mentality and desire to triumph over West Ham, Pereira was asked about Strand Larsen’s future. Given how widespread the news has become, it was inevitable that he was going to be quizzed on the subject – and his response was very honest.
“Until now, Jorgen is our player, and we'll see what happens,” Pereira began. “Football is football — every player has a price, I believe. Even Messi, or Cristiano. But he is very, very important for us. We'll see what happens.
“If it’s my decision, of course (I want to keep him), because he’s a very important player. It’s not only about the technical and tactical (ability), it’s about the character. He’s a player with character.
“I can imagine his mind in this moment because he’s listened to a lot of things, read a lot of things, and he’s kept his commitment. I know him very well. He will never, never force (a move). There are players I have known in this situation, and they just ask me not to play. But Larsen wants to play every time.
“He goes on to help the team. In the last minutes (vs West Ham), I also asked him to go and help as a centre-back. It means that he has the character. But of course, we know football is football. We must be ready for everything,” Pereira admitted.
Wolves firm on Strand Larsen stance
For Strand Larsen himself, a transfer to Newcastle could make great sense as he would be fast-tracking himself to the top half of the Premier League. The Norwegian is understood to be keen on the move to Tyneside, though he’s not pushing for a transfer like Isak has. It’s a good job he isn’t, as Wolves are reluctant to let him go.
Albeit not as fast as Isak, Strand Larsen is still pretty quick when he gets up to speed and proved he’s clinical when presented with opportunities. Strand Larsen was the Premier League’s tenth top scorer last season and ranked in the top 20 per cent of centre-forwards for non-penalty expected goals, with 10.27. Only 14 per cent of strikers could beat Strand Larsen’s tallies of 34 shots on target and 67 aerial duels won as he proved to be a nuisance for opposition defenders.
One aspect of Strand Larsen’s game that isn’t so visible in his underlying data is his movement. Matheus Cunha understandably took plenty of the credit for Wolves’ success last season but Strand Larsen was only one goal behind, with many of his chances coming as a result of late runs into the box and an ability to peel away from centre-halves.
As much as Strand Larsen could be a great signing for Newcastle, Wolves feel they cannot afford to lose him, you would think. It may be tempting to cash in for a huge immediate profit after signing him permanently in July for just £23 million, but Strand Larsen could genuinely be the difference between Wolves staying up or going down.
Continue Reading