Newcastle United have been met with a major blow in their attempts to sign Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Newcastle have made two bids for Strand Larsen, who bagged a brace for Wolves during their Carabao Cup win over West Ham on Tuesday night.
The Norway international is reportedly open to joining Newcastle during the final days of the transfer window, which is a fairly rare thing for the club in terms of strikers this summer.
Strand Larsen is viewed as Callum Wilson’s replacement at Newcastle, which means even his potential arrival would not necessarily open the door for Alexander Isak to join Liverpool.
Still, while Newcastle are in aggressive pursuit of the 25-year-old, a major blow emerged on Wednesday afternoon.
Jorgen Strand Larsen reacts during Wolves' Carabao Cup second round win over West Ham United.
Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
Wolves to block Jorgen Strand Larsen move
According to Craig Hope of The Daily Mail on social media platform X, Wolves remain strong in their stance that Strand Larsen is not for sale.
Though Newcastle could make a third bid for Strand Larsen, it may be a waste of time.
Indeed, the Molineux club simply do not want to sell the forward and would be prepared to even reject an offer of more than £60million for him.
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Rafa Benitez has already provided a ringing endorsement of Jorgen Strand Larsen
Former Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez coached Strand Larsen at Celta Vigo.
Under the Spaniard’s watch, the striker scored nine goals in 30 games.
Speaking about the player in 2024, Benitez told La Voz de Galicia: “He is a player who is quite consistent and that he is increasingly embellishing it with quality details and that of an important footballer.
“He has aspects of the game that need improvement, and he knows it. He is a very hard worker. He has improved in finishing and in understanding what he has to do depending on his teammates and his rivals. He is in a growth phase, but he is young and has a lot of desire.”
Having scored 14 goals for a team who struggled for Premier League survival last season, it’s easy to see why Newcastle may be keen.
However, they’ve left things very late indeed. Not only can Wolves hold out for a major fee, they also don’t have much time to source a replacement even if they were prepared to cash in.