Newcastle United tried to sign the Wolves striker in the summer
Jorgen Strand Larsen of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks at the crowd following his substitution during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United at Molineux
Newcastle United’s pursuit of Jorgen Strand Larsen in the summer ended in defeat after Wolves refused to sell the striker. It’s now looking like the Magpies dodged a bullet.
The Norwegian frontman was the subject of three bids from United in August as they desperately sought replacements for Liverpool-bound Alexander Isak and the departed Callum Wilson.
Newcastle offered around £55million for Strand Larsen, who had only joined Wolves a few weeks earlier for £23m after they made his loan move from Celta Vigo permanent. The 25-year-old had spent the season at Molineux, impressing with 14 goals.
Wolves had the chance to make a huge instant profit on the player but with the transfer window in its final days, and having already sold star forward Mattheus Cunha to Manchester United for £62.5m, they turned down Newcastle’s offer. Strand Larsen had privately expressed a desire to move to St James’ Park, but didn’t push for the move unlike Isak and Yoane Wissa did with their clubs and was rewarded with improved terms on a five-year contract, just weeks after signing one.
However, things have gone badly for the player and for Wolves since then. Strand Larsen has scored just one Premier League goal and struggled with an Achilles injury.
OPINION
The Black Country side sit rock bottom of the table without a win and just two points on the board, seemingly set for relegation to the Championship and in danger of beating Derby County’s record as the poorest Premier League side in history. They were hammered 4-1 at home to Manchester United on Monday night.
The game saw Strand Larsen substituted after 69minutes with the move sarcastically applauded by many Wolves fans. The player then seemed ready to to have a confrontation with supporters from the dugout before being spoken to by manager Rob Edwards, who also had a word with the player at the final whistle.
“I just said: ‘look, stay positive and don’t react now’,” Edwards told a press conference. “It will hurt him. He’s proud, he’s one of the lads that was really speaking before the game, in the huddle, in the changing room and he’s really passionate and spoke really well.
“He is trying. It wasn’t that long ago, against Aston Villa, when I thought he was brilliant, he really was.
“It was a difficult night tonight, So I just told him: ‘it’s difficult now I know that, but keep your head down’.”
Wolves supporters took to social media afterwards, calling out the Norwegian for his attitude and workrate, with many saying he had downed tools since his move to Newcastle fell through.
One posted: “Larsen’s head was turned by Newcastle and now thinks he’s too good for the club.” Another wrote: “Clearly doesn’t want to be here. Hasn’t ever since Newcastle were interested in him.”
“Strand Larsen’s head is still 180 degrees turned after the Newcastle bids. Should not be on the pitch in a gold shirt,” was another message.
It was a series of posts which echoed Newcastle legend Alan Shearer’s verdict on a player who could have been lining up in a black and white shirt this season.
In a brutal takedown of the striker, Shearer said: “Newcastle had a bid turned down for Strand Larsen. I’ve not seen anything this season, and it might be unfair on him, I guess, but I’ve not seen anything to suggest that that money would have been well spent.”