Newcastle United have seen Nick Woltemade shine after signing from Stuttgart, but Jorgen Strand Larsen isn’t quite firing yet.
The Alexander Isak transfer saga left Newcastle United plotting striking additions before the transfer deadline.
Yoane Wissa is still out injured after arriving from Brentford, but Nick Woltemade’s move from Stuttgart looks to be a masterstroke.
Woltemade has now scored four times in five Newcastle games, making himself an instant Magpies hero.
Newcastle looked at other strikers before signing Woltemade, including Wolverhampton Wanderers ace Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Jorgen Strand Larsen’s frustrating form after Newcastle United interest
Newcastle made two bids for Strand Larsen, with Wolves rejecting up to £55million for the Norwegian striker.
Strand Larsen smashed 14 goals last season, and Newcastle showed a strong interest in luring him to Tyneside.
Wolves stood firm, and Newcastle moved on, snapping up Woltemade and Wissa instead.
That decision is certainly paying off, and not just because of Woltemade’s sensational form.
Strand Larsen has yet to find the net in the Premier League this season and struggled in a 90-minute showing against Sunderland on Saturday.
An injury in September set Strand Larsen back, and he has yet to recapture his best form.
The 25-year-old is playing in a struggling Wolves side, which may not be helping his form in the final third.
Strand Larsen has only managed three shots on target in six Premier League outings, though, and none in his last four games.
The former Celta Vigo man may find his form again soon, but Newcastle currently appear to have made the right call by backing away.
Wolves boss on Jorgen Strand Larsen
Strand Larsen’s form is a big talking point with Wolves fans, as some believe he should have been sold.
Newcastle almost certainly won’t come back in with a January bid now, especially with Woltemade excelling.
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has explained Strand Larsen’s problems, pointing to lingering injury woes.
Speaking on Wolves’ official website, Pereira highlighted that Strand Larsen is ‘struggling’ to find his form.
“The problem of Jorgen is he’s not working every day, in the last weeks he worked one or two times in the week, and it is difficult to get at his best level, because he cannot have two, three training sessions in a row, because he needs to control the pain on the tendon,” said Pereira.
“But, this is a moment to forget the pain and he’s trying to help. He’s not the Jorgen I saw last season, pressing everybody, now he is struggling in the pressing, struggling to do he wants to do, to attack the space, but he’s trying. I need to defend him because he’s working not at the 100 percent,” he added.
Strand Larsen may need time to find top form and fitness again, but Newcastle will be delighted to have secured Woltemade instead as things stand.
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