THE £50M QUESTION: WHY WOLVES ARE FINALLY READY TO SELL JøRGEN STRAND LARSEN
Crystal Palace are in advanced talks to sign Wolves striker Jørgen Strand Larsen for £50m, potentially sparking a Mateta exit.
Wolves are ready for a £50m bid from Crystal Palace for Jørgen Strand Larsen. The Norwegian striker looks set to leave this window, and Palace are deep in talks to bring him in.
Jorge Mendes is handling negotiations for Wolves. The offer on the table is £45m up front, with another £5m in add-ons. It’s not clear if any other clubs will try to match or top that bid, but Leeds are the main rivals right now. Palace, though, are leading the race.
Earlier this month, Leeds tried their luck with a £40m offer for the 25-year-old, but Wolves turned it down. Nottingham Forest are also in the mix—they want an experienced striker and have been keeping tabs on him.
Back in the summer, Newcastle came in with several bids adding up to £55m, but Wolves held firm. Now, stuck at the bottom of the Premier League, Wolves know they can’t risk Strand Larsen’s value dropping if they go down.
Strand Larsen joined Wolves permanently last summer for £23m after a decent loan spell from Celta Vigo, when he scored 14 goals. In September, he signed a deal to stay until 2030. But things haven’t really clicked for him since, and a sale at this price suits everyone.
If Palace get their man, expect the dominoes to start falling at Selhurst Park and beyond. Jean-Philippe Mateta wants out, and Forest has already put in a £35m bid for him. Still, Palace won’t let Mateta go until they’ve secured a replacement.
Meanwhile, Burnley have landed James Ward-Prowse on loan from West Ham. The 31-year-old former Southampton captain hasn’t played at all since Nuno Espírito Santo took over from Graham Potter in September.
Ward-Prowse sounds fired up for the challenge: “As soon as I heard Burnley were interested and chatted with Scott Parker, I knew this loan was exactly what I needed. There’s a massive fight ahead for the rest of the season, but I’m ready to enjoy every bit of it.”
CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF
Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.
Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.
Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.
His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.
Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.
Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.
Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.
AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE
Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.