Wolves have opportunity to sign superb Bristol City star for a bargain if Jorgen Strand Larsen departs
Wolves are expected to be active in January as they hope to bounce back from a dreadful first half of the season
Premier League basement side Wolverhampton Wanderers are bracing themselves for further interest in forward Jorgen Strand Larsen following their catastrophic first half of the season.
The Old Gold turned down several approaches from Newcastle United over the summer in an attempt to remain a competitive Premier League outfit following the departures of Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and club captain Nelson Semedo.
Larsen was a consistent goalscorer and a catalyst for the team’s survival in the top-flight last season after scoring a hugely impressive 14 goals while also contributing creatively as well with four assists.
However, he’s been unable to reach anywhere near the same heights this season, scoring just once in 15 league appearances so far. He’s been starved of goalmouth action throughout the opening four months of the season, and has failed to grasp the limited opportunities he’s been given to improve on his goal tally. He missed a penalty against Brentford in the club’s most recent loss and is yet to score from open play in the league this term.
West Ham plot big move for Jorgen Strand Larsen
David Ornstein from The Athletic says that West Ham are one of the frontrunners to sign Larsen in the January transfer window. Larsen scored twice against the Hammers in a Carabao Cup victory which marked one of Wolves’ few good nights this season.
Wolves turned down offers of around £55m from Newcastle United for the striker over the summer, and have since improved his contract which runs until 2030, leaving them in a fairly strong position in terms of negotiations.
West Ham are in the market for a forward as they edge closer to an agreement with AC Milan which will see Niclas Füllkrug depart after 18 disappointing months at the London Stadium for the German international.
Wolves fans despite Larsen’s poor form are unlikely to be keen on the idea as they look to avoid becoming the worst team in Premier League history. However, it’s worth noting that the counter argument is that they’ll be in a stronger position financially to tackle the challenge of bouncing back up, particularly if Larsen continues to underwhelm, with his value plummeting each week.
Anis Mehmeti would be a shrewd signing for Wolves - opinion
Whether Wolves decide to sell or keep Larsen remains to be seen, but what is clear is the team needs more going forward if it’s to become competitive in the near future.
Wolves need to improve both in terms of goals and creativity, and they could potentially solve two key issues with a move for highly-rated Bristol City star Anis Mehmeti.
Mehmeti has spent his entire career in English football and has enjoyed a steady rise through the divisions over the course of his career. He had trails with the likes of Fulham and Tottenham before being given his first taste of senior action at non-league outfit Woodford Town. He spent three seasons of his career at Wycombe Wanderers before joining the Robins mid-season in January 2023.
Overall, he’s got a record of 18 goals and seven assists in 66 league outings since the start of last season - forming part of the Bristol City team which reached the play-offs last season while also starting this campaign amongst the upper echelons of the division.
He’s capable of playing as a centre forward and in one of the No.10 positions, and is arguably someone that could slot seamlessly into the Wolves lineup based on the fact that they play a similar formation under Rob Edwards to the one that’s currently deployed by Gerhard Struber.
The 24-year-old Albanian international’s contract expires in the summer meaning he could be available for a cut-price fee in January if he decides against committing his future to Bristol City.
Given the lack of contribution from Jhon Arias, who is yet to register a goal or an assist - and the lack of end product by Fer Lopez as well, Mehmeti could be an upgrade on both and someone that’d give Wolves a better chance of breaking teams down in the second half of the campaign.
He’s also proven at Championship level and would give the team a strong chance of competing for promotion and hitting the ground running if they are indeed relegated after eight seasons in the top-flight.