Leeds United Jorgen Strand Larsen stance amid shifting transfer landscape and Crystal Palace wait
For Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen the last couple of days have been an ever-changing transfer landscape but Leeds United's position remains consistent.
The Norwegian frontman's value is certain to be higher now than it will be if and when Wolves suffer relegation to the Championship and though they insist they are content to keep him at Molineux, a sale would obviously stand them in better stead for the financial difficulties that accompany the drop.
Leeds' interest in the striker emerged shortly before it was confirmed last week they had placed an official bid, which Wolves rejected. Their tactic of holding out to see what other offers they could attract paid off when Crystal Palace began negotiations and seemed to indicate a willingness to spend £45m with a further £5m in add-ons. But as Leeds looked set to miss out on their priority January target, numerous reports introduced doubt on Thursday night. There has been no definitive suggestion as yet that Palace have withdrawn entirely from talks, but nor have they pressed ahead with a deal that looked close to complete. A sale of Jean Philippe Mateta to AC Milan could happen this month but may have to wait until the summer, which could dampen their enthusiasm to commit £50m to a player who will cost much less in a few months' time.
In the meantime, Wolves are said to be adamant that they will not accept less than £45m for Strand Larsen. And they are now chasing a long term striker target themselves. Che Adams, a former transfer possibility for Leeds, is being sought in a move that would bring the 29-year-old back to English football from Serie A, where he plies his trade with Torino. The arrival of a new striker could indicate a willingness on Wolves' part to say farewell to Strand Larsen or perhaps contingency planning for said departure. It might not yet be a transfer saga, but it isn't far off.
Amid the wait to discover if Palace are moving on from the deal, Wolves boss Rob Edwards has confirmed that Strand Larsen has trained and is available to play tomorrow against Bournemouth.
One thing that has not changed in the past 24 hours is Leeds' stance on Strand Larsen. They remain keen, they are still open to doing a deal yet insist they will not budge from their valuation. Club sources have reiterated that Strand Larsen is regarded as a long term bit of recruitment business rather than simply a signing to help them stay up.
Leeds are also still open to the idea of strengthening at full-back if the right opportunity presents itself, but Daniel Farke has been clear that he does not want to bloat his squad so in his estimation they can be 'picky' as the deadline draws near.
Reports that Rangers are set to move on Joel Piroe, meanwhile, are wide of the mark. The player's stance has not changed and his desire is to stay at Elland Road. Leeds are not minded to push him out and with Lukas Nmecha out injured this weekend and no additional 9 arriving as yet, it would not be a move Farke was likely to sanction. He said on Thursday he was unaware of any players wishing to leave before Monday night. A source close to Ibrox gave the move less chance than 'raining in hell' even if the Dutchman's goalscoring ability would make him a prize asset in the Scottish Premiership.
But as ever, the proximity of a deadline can bring strange, unforeseen events and change minds. Very little can be ruled out. The hope for Leeds is that Palace do indeed bow out of the race for Strand Larsen and the closer Wolves get to Monday the more attracted they are by the Elland Road offer on the table.