Wolverhampton Wanderers have rejected an improved £55million bid from Newcastle United for striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, according to multiple reports.
Wolves had already turned down Newcastle’s opening £50m proposal on Monday and remain firm in their stance that the 25-year-old is not for sale this summer.
The second offer was submitted on Tuesday night, just as the Norwegian scored twice in a 3–2 Carabao Cup win over West Ham.
Daily Mail Sport reported on Tuesday that Newcastle view Strand Larsen
as a priority target, with Eddie Howe and his recruitment team big admirers.
The forward only cost Wolves £23m when his move from Celta Vigo was made permanent in July after a successful loan spell last season, during which he scored 14 Premier League goals.
Despite Newcastle’s interest and the player’s interest in a move to Tyneside, Wolves manager Vitor Pereira stressed after Tuesday’s cup win that the striker is vital to his plans and won’t go anywhere if the decision was down to him.
“He’s a very important player,” Pereira said. “Until now, Jorgen is our player. We’ll see what happens. Football is football, every player has a price, but for me he is very, very important for us.”
Newcastle remain without a first-team, proven striker as Alexander Isak continues his strike amid Liverpool’s pursuit and Callum Wilson has departed, with Will Osula the only semi-playable man up front.
With this news and the stalled pursuit of Brentford’s Yoane Wissa after multiple rejected bids, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that either the Magpies work some truly unexpected magic or just have to go through the first half of the season with Osula and pieces.
