The bold £40m Wolves and Nottingham Forest swap deal that makes sense for all parties
This swap deal between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest could make brilliant sense for everyone involved.
Jorgen Strand Larsen’s hat-trick against Shrewsbury Town may be his farewell present to Wolverhampton Wanderers, as several clubs are interested in acquiring his services this January.
Wolves turned down numerous bids from Newcastle United for Strand Larsen in the summer, two of which exceeded £50 million, but the Old Gold stood firm to retain arguably their best player. But since relegation to the Championship is now a near certainty thanks to just one win in the opening 21 Premier League games, Wanderers are considering letting him leave.
That’s according to BBC Sport, with a recent report suggesting Wolves are willing to sell Strand Larsen if interested clubs stump up £40 million. West Ham United were keen at the start of the window but decided against paying that much, signing Lazio’s Taty Castellanos instead. But the Hammers aren’t the only side keen, with more circling.
Bold £40m Wolves and Nottingham Forest swap deal makes sense
Nottingham Forest are the latest Premier League outfit to be linked with Strand Larsen and there could be a way of making the move work without having to fork out the full £40 million. Swap deals are a rarity but one could make good sense here, as Wolves are long-term admirers of Forest attacking midfielder James McAtee and he has struggled to make his mark.
McAtee joined from Manchester City in the summer for around £30 million with plenty of promise as Forest beat Bayer Leverkusen to secure his services. But the 24-time England Under-21 international has flattered to deceive, accumulating just 170 Premier League minutes so far.
More game time has come for McAtee in the Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup, however he’s yet to score or assist a single goal. There was hope the 23-year-old could kick on from his impressive Championship and lower-level Premier League spells at Sheffield United to become a regular in the top flight, but it hasn’t happened for him just yet.
Moving to Wolves could give McAtee a new lease of life. The attacking midfielder would have to commit to a likely life back in the Championship, but he could reap the long-term rewards by having the chance to become a key player at Molineux.
In terms of market values, Forest may have to add some cash in addition to McAtee to make a deal with Wolves work. Say McAtee has retained most of his summer transfer fee but not all, £15 million plus the player could add up to Wolves’ £40 million asking price for Strand Larsen. It may be worth considering.
Strand Larsen would suit Forest
Forest are struggling for goals with Chris Wood out injured and new signings Igor Jesus, Arnaud Kalimuendo, Dan Ndoye and Dilane Bakwa yet to get firing. Forest are seven points clear of the drop zone following their significant 2-1 win over West Ham United, but Sean Dyche reportedly wants more firepower to make sure of safety.
Strand Larsen could provide just that, as the Norway international’s positioning and the timing of his runs are two of his strong suits, favouring Forest’s love of crossing from wide. Strand Larsen could thrive with the likes of Ndoye, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Omari Hutchinson as his providers.
If Strand Larsen can get anywhere near his form of last season, when he scored 14 goals in 35 games during a brilliant debut Premier League campaign, then Forest would be in great hands. Wolves, on the other hand, would be getting a decent wad of cash, all while securing a proven top Championship asset in McAtee. Make it happen, we say.