Jorgen Strand Larsen
Leeds United fans were excited after the club managed to sign Facundo Buonanotte on loan in January. Then the news followed that the club would be going after a big name center forward.
Buonanotte came as a bit of a surprise as the deal was wrapped up within the 24 hours when the news was first announced. It came as a surprise to some fans who felt like the club would do no business. Leeds did not sign a first team player in January last year in the Championship, so fans were not really expecting much this time around.
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Jorgen Strand Larsen was the major target, with the Whites reaching out to Wolves over a deal. The club had a deal rejected, but never went back again as the Norwegian international found his way to Crystal Palace on deadline day. Reports then emerged that the structure of the deal was not what Wolves wanted; the Whites put forward a loan deal with an obligation to buy in the summer.
Jorgen Strand Larsen has debut to forget for Crystal Palace
Eventually, it is believed that the 49ers were going to gamble on the current group of players they have instead of going back in for the striker. And based on his debut this past weekend, their choice may have been the best. The Norwegian played against Brighton and failed to score on his debut, missing a glorious chance to score towards the end of the game. Jorgen Strand Larsen also completed 14 of his 21 passes and won just two aerial duels in the match.
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49ers seem to have made the right decision
Jorgen Strand Larsen is a great player, and would have been an ideal signing for Leeds in January. But sometimes factors count; spending £48 million on a player not guaranteed to bring success to a relegation-threatened side is not great business. Which may be why the 49ers preferred a move to buy in the summer. The Whites are not in any position to be taking bets on experiments at this point of the season. Facundo Buonanotte is already having difficulty getting into the team, so there was no guarantee that one signing would change the club’s fortunes. If Leeds do survive this season however, then a new striker should definitely be the priority in the summer.