'A lot of money' - Sky Sports pundits react to Leeds United's £48m Jorgen Strand Larsen transfer blow
Leeds United look set to miss out on the Norwegian striker who passed his Crystal Palace medical on Monday.
Clinton Morrison has questioned Crystal Palace’s decision to commit £48million on Leeds United transfer target Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Leeds look set to miss out on the Wolves striker, who passed his medical tests on Monday morning ahead of a deadline day move to Selhurst Park. Elland Road chiefs had tabled an offer believed to be worth up to £39m, add-ons included, but acknowledged a deal always felt difficult to do particularly with growing interest from elsewhere.
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s proposed move to AC Milan was the catalyst for Palace to pull the trigger on Strand Larsen, initially agreeing in principle a £50m package before seeing a slightly lower offer accepted. The London club will pay an initial £43m, with £5m of potential add-ons agreed.
Strand Larsen attracted bids worth up to £55m from Newcastle after scoring 14 goals last season but so far this campaign, he has just one strike - a penalty against Burnley. And while former Palace striker Morrison accepts the Norwegian should fit Oliver Glasner’s style, he’s questioned the fee based on current form.
“Strand Larsen two years ago, I’d have said ‘good deal’ - but he isn’t the same player,” Morrison told Sky Sports. “He’s short on confidence. I watched Wolves’ game against Bournemouth at the weekend and he had a great chance from two yards out that he couldn’t finish.
“Palace like a big striker who can be a target man. It's a good deal but it’s a lot of money. And I think Mateta has to go before this deal happens, because where are Palace getting this money from?”
Paul Merson’s verdict on Strand Larsen to Crystal Palace
Palace will of course hope to get Strand Larsen back to his 2024/25 form and that will have been Leeds’ thinking too. Elland Road chiefs saw the Norwegian’s availability as a special market opportunity, given he is at an ebb in his goalscoring form and Wolves are virtually guaranteed to be relegated this season, weakening their negotiating position.
Any kind of return to last season’s levels would see Palace get a good deal and with modern prices becoming so inflated, £40m-plus is not out of the ordinary for an established Premier League side competing in Europe. And Paul Merson believes Selhurst Park chiefs will get a good player for their money.
“If I was a player now and someone came trying to buy me for £30 million I would have thought I was useless! £40m is the norm now,” the former Arsenal midfielder said. “I think that he had his head turned by a move at the start of the season and downed tools in a way.
“The kid’s a good player. I think it’s a good signing, he’s good enough for Crystal Palace. The Mateta one, things have just gone sour. But it just shows how great the Premier League is – one goal in twelve and he’s going to AC Milan!”