Newcastle United are desperate to bring in attacking additions and want to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers star Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Striking rumours will dominate the headlines around Newcastle United ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.
Alexander Isak wants to leave Newcastle United this summer, with the Swede eyeing up a move to Liverpool.
Time is running out for that deal to be done, but Newcastle still need attacking additions regardless.
Callum Wilson left the club over the summer, while Anthony Gordon will now serve a suspension after his red card against Liverpool.
Newcastle have made bids for Jorgen Strand Larsen, but Wolverhampton Wanderers have stood firm up to this point.
Stoke City v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ financial outlook as Newcastle United chase Jorgen Strand Larsen
Wolves want to keep Strand Larsen, who joined the club on a permanent basis from Celta Vigo this summer.
The Norwegian hit 14 Premier League goals last season and bagged a brace in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie against West Ham United.
Newcastle’s pursuit continues, and TBR Football’s football finance expert Adam Williams has offered a look into Wolves’ financial situation.
Williams noted that the big-money sales of Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri to Manchester United and Manchester City, respectively, could be key.
The money raised from those deals means Wolves are unlikely to be under pressure to sell Strand-Larsen, and they are no major PSR concerns at Molineux.
That means Wolves can stick to their asking price for Strand Larsen in the coming days, leaving Newcastle to cough up a huge fee.
Owners Fosun may still sense an opportunity to make a swift and significant profit on Strand-Larsen, though, having written off around £200million worth of loans.
Cashing in on the Norwegian striker may appeal at the right price, as a deal would somewhat ease the financial burden on the Wolves ownership group.
“Given the sales they have made already this summer, I don’t think Wolves are under financial pressure to sell before the deadline,” said Williams.
“The trend in recent seasons has been to make up for their operating losses with player sales rather than handouts from the owners. Fosun have written off around £200m worth of loans to the club since they bought the club, and it seems like their commitment has somewhat fizzled out, so I doubt they will want to underwrite the operating losses with their own money.
“Player sales, therefore, in tandem with third-party debt and increasing core revenue, are the way they are funding the club’s day-to-day cash needs. With Cunha and Ait-Nouri, I think they have probably generated enough to ease any immediate pressure for player sales. There’s no pressing PSR issue either after the £67m they lost in 2022-23 dropped out of the equation.
“So with Jorgen Strand Larsen, they can hold firm on their valuation. That said, if they can get £60m for him, I also don’t think they’ll be resistant to him leaving. It’s a big, immediate profit on the player. And given the money Fosun have written off, that’s an extra £60m they wouldn’t have to find themselves,” he added.
Newcastle United’s difficult striking situation
This summer has been a frustrating one for Newcastle.
Benjamin Sesko chose Manchester United over Newcastle, and the Magpies missed out on Joao Pedro as he joined Chelsea.
Newcastle’s move for Yoane Wissa hasn’t progressed either, despite the Brentford forward’s attempts to move on.
Williams noted that it’s difficult to predict how Newcastle’s front line will look come Tuesday, with confusion surrounding Isak and a number of targets making life difficult for Eddie Howe.
“From Newcastle’s perspective, it’s a funny market. There are a lot of big players’ futures unresolved with just a few days left before the deadline, and it’s hard to predict how it will shake out,” said Williams.
“It’s frustrating for them on a number of levels, however. The foremost being that this is the first season in a few years where domestic PSR is basically a non-issue and yet their entire window has been framed by the Isak saga and its knock-on effects,” he added.
Strand Larsen appears to be the focus right now, but Newcastle may find that Wolves aren’t for budging on their price tag – especially with the deadline just days away.