Newcastle United ‘close’ to striker transfer breakthrough as bombshell £60m Wolves claim made
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Newcastle United transfer news: Wolves’ Jorgen Strand Larsen is among the Magpies’ top targets this summer as they look for Callum Wilson’s replacement.
Newcastle United are just £5m apart in discussions with Wolves for Jorgen Strand Larsen - according to reports in the Express and Star. They report that the Molineux outfit face a ‘real fight’ to keep hold of the 25-year-old amid renewed interest from St James’ Park.
The Magpies have spent most of the summer chasing Yoane Wissa’s signature, but have not been able to match Brentford’s valuation of the DR Congo international. Wissa, who netted 19 times in the Premier League last season, is keen to make the switch to the north east, but the Bees are reluctant to see another one of their key players leave after a summer of upheaval.
Strand Larsen, therefore, had emerged as a possible alternative to Wissa. The Norwegian joined Wolves on a permanent basis for £23m earlier this summer after impressing on an initial loan deal from Celta Vigo.
Strand Larsen scored 14 goals during his debut campaign in England and impressed under Vitor Pereira as they comfortably avoided relegation after a slow start to the season.
Jorgen Strand Larsen transfer news plus Newcastle United latest
The report from the Express and Star reveals that whilst there has been no direct contact between Newcastle United and Wolves over a move for the striker, a transfer has been discussed via intermediaries and that it is expected to take a fee of around £60m to tempt them into selling. Personal terms between the striker and Magpies are not expected to be an issue.
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Speaking on the E&S Wolves podcast, journalist Nathan Judah revealed that the two clubs were close in talks over a deal for Strand Larsen, stating: “They are around about £5m apart at this moment in time Newcastle and Wolverhampton Wanderers.”
However, as Newcastle United have found with most of their attempts to sign a striker this summer, there could be a few difficulties awaiting them as they try to get a deal over the line. The first will be that Wolves will need to find a replacement for their talisman.
Having already lost Matheus Cunha to Manchester United, Pereira’s attacking options have already been depleted this summer and losing the source of 14 league goals last term will be a big blow. Hwang Hee-chan, someone who enjoys a good goalscoring record against Newcastle United, has also been linked with a move away from Molineux this summer.
Wolves are also set to lose the services of Fabio Silva who is reportedly on the verge of a move to Borussia Dortmund. Silva, though, spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on-loan at Rangers before moving to Las Palmas on-loan ahead of the 2024/25 season and has not played a competitive game for his parent club since November 2023.
With just 11 days left of the summer transfer window to go, it’s likely that this saga will run and run right until the deadline at 7pm on Monday 1 September. Of course, the Magpies also have to resolve Alexander Isak’s future at the club.
The Swedish international released an explosive statement on Instagram on Tuesday night about his future on Tyneside. Newcastle United responded with a swift and strong statement of their own in yet another twist to the messy saga.