When discussing the virtues of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ big summer signing – and we mean big both in terms of his potential price and his size – three key attributes came to mind for manager Gary O’Neil.
First, his ‘presence’.
At 6ft 4ins, Jorgen Strand Larsen may be the talismanic targetman-like figure Wolves thought they were getting in Sasa Kalajdzic before that ACL injury ruined his Molineux career.
The towering centre-forward, who joins on loan but will seal a £25 million permanent move if his clause is triggered, also possesses ‘good mobility’, O’Neil tells The Athletic.
Make no mistake, Strand Larsen is quick for one so tall.
A tendency to ‘work his socks off’ will also endear the Norway international to the Wolves fanbase pretty quickly, pressing from the front, running the channels and making those trademark darting movements inside the penalty area.
Wolves sign Jorgen Strand Larsen after fine La Liga season
Potentially the missing link for a Wolves side boasting a fine midfield and good attacking options but light on classic centre-forwards, Strand Larsen could be the perfect foil for the likes of Matheus Cunha, Hwang Hee-Chan and new £12.7 million speedster Rodrigo Gomes.
And for Terry Gibson, the Spanish football expert who enjoyed watching Strand Larsen rack up an impressive 13 goals last term, Wolves’ gain is most certainly Celta Vigo’s loss.
After spending much of Strand Larsen’s two years in Galicia battling against relegation, he has little faith in Celta’s ability to bounce back without their top scorer.
Particularly after bringing in Borja Iglesias – only two goals in 28 games last term – the man chosen to take his place.
“I wish they hadn’t had sold Strand Larsen,” Gibson tells El Tel and Jon’s La Liga Weekly podcast. “That’s why I think Borja Iglesias has come in on loan. He’s got to up his game to be honest, to get his career back on track.
“He’s come in at Celta. To fill the boots of Strand Larsen, he’s going to have to be at it.”
Gary O’Neil’s side face Arsenal in opening weekend
Wolves kick off their Premier League campaign against last season’s runners up Arsenal on Saturday at 3pm.
Strand Larsen will be in line to make his debut while the jet-heeled Gomes – who has made a huge impression in pre-season – may be fast-tracked into O’Neil’s starting XI after Pedro Neto’s £54 million move to Chelsea.
Wolves have also brought back Tommy Doyle from Man City while beating Chelsea to highly-rated right-back Pedro Lima.
Strand Larsen, however, will be the one most fans are most excited to see in action with Rafael Benitez – his former head coach at Celta Vigo – convinced the one-time Middlesbrough target has the ‘potential’ to thrive in England.
“I think he is a player who has a lot of consistency and who is adorning it every time with quality details,” Benitez, the one-time Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Inter Milan boss, told La Voz de Galicia.
“He has aspects in the game that he has to improve, and he knows it. (But) he is a hard worker. He has improved his finishing and understanding what he has to do depending on his team-mates and rivals. He is in the growth phase, but he is young and has a lot of desire.
“When he adjusts a couple of things, he has all the potential to go to the Premier League.”
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