Graham Smyth gives update on Leeds United interest in Wolves striker Strand Larsen after first bid rejected

Leeds United are still working hard to add to their squad with just one week remaining in the January transfer window.

The Whites kicked off their business with a loan deal for Brighton and Hove Albion winger Facundo Buonanotte earlier this month and also concluded some outgoing loan business as winger Jack Harrison and promising forward Harry Gray joined Fiorentina and Rotherham United respectively.

The YEP understands a striker is the main priority for the final days of the window and it has been widely reported Leeds have upped their interest in Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen in recent days. The Norway international enjoyed a remarkable season last time out with 14 goals and four assists in 35 Premier League appearances and that triggered interest from Newcastle United during the summer transfer window.

The Magpies interest and a reported big money bid were rejected by the Molineux hierarchy and Strand Larsen has struggled to hit the heights during the current campaign by finding the net just once in the Premier League this season. Leeds saw an initial bid for the former Celta Vigo man rejected last week - but the YEP understands their interest remains very much alive and chief football writer Graham Smyth has given an insight into where things stand.

What has Graham Smyth said about Leeds United’s interest in Jorgen Strand Larsen?

Speaking on the Inside Elland Road podcast, the YEP’s chief football writer said: “Leeds have bid and I think sometimes people think it’s just a case of faxing ‘£30m’ and the faxing back ‘no’, Then faxing ‘£30m and one penny’ and then faxing back the word ‘no’. It’s very much a conversation and deals take time, they take long conversations and Leeds are still actively pursuing him. So I think what we can derive from that is that they are still in conversation with Wolves and they are still in active talks with Wolves. So even if their bid didn’t land and Wolves didn’t jump at it, which let’s be honest, they are not going to, then I know it’s not the end of Leeds interest in the player. They haven’t moved on and I think that’s what they’d be saying if they wanted to draw a line under this or if they’d put in their absolute best and Wolves had knocked it back.

“Even then it would not make sense for Leeds to leave the table because I’m not buying this Wolves line that they are content to keep the player until the summer. We all know the difficulty of player trading in a post-relegation apocalyptic landscape and whilst it hasn’t come out that the player has got a relegation clause, would it surprise you that a player playing at Wolves, who have struggled in the last couple of years, highly rated player wanted by Newcastle last summer, would it surprise you if he had something in there that would drastically reduce the money they would get in the summer if they went down? I wouldn’t be surprised.”

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