How Leeds can finance club-record Strand Larsen transfer revealed as Wolves move for Championship attacker | OneFootball

Leeds United face a tough task in winning the race to sign Jorgen Strand Larsen amid what sources have told us is a 12-club pursuit for his signature, though Wolves are reportedly gearing up for his exit by targeting a Championship star and with a potential ace up the West Yorkshire side’s sleeves also coming to light.

Daniel Farke’s side have put themselves in a strong position in the battle for survival in the Premier League, with a run of just one defeat in nine games in the competition seeing them open up an eight-point buffer on West Ham in 18th place. While Leeds United cannot yet breathe easy, nor take their foot off the pedal, the optimism flowing through Elland Road has allowed the club to start planning towards what they hope will be a second season among the elite.

Sources confirm that part of that strategy will involve, at some point, the addition of another centre forward to provide quality cover and competition for Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, who both joined as free agents over the summer.

Farke’s recent switch to a 3-5-2 system has seen Leeds revert to a more traditional two-pronged strikeforce, though a lack of quality cover on the bench has seen the Whites manager having to use winger Noah Okafor in an unfamiliar central role, owing to Nmecha’s recent injury absence.

And with TEAMtalk sources exclusively breaking the news last week that Leeds had made an enquiry for Strand Larsen – a story confirmed some 24 hours later by both the Yorkshire Evening Post and The Athletic’s David Ornstein – the Whites have now learned the true costs of what a raid on the Old Gold would look like.

We understand that Wolves are indeed open to the Norwegian international’s sale, though are determined to stick by their £40m valuation of the 25-year-old.

And while that would represent a club-record deal for Leeds, who continue to keep a close lid on their finances in light of running PSR close over the summer, it’s understood the club do have a plan in place over how to structure such a deal.

Leeds’ ideal would be to initially sign Strand Larsen on a loan-to-buy deal. Whether Wolves go for that is another matter altogether, though given the 12-club scramble we can reveal has ensued for his signature, it does seem unlikely.

Key to any move for Leeds would be the departure of Joel Piroe, valued at £15m by the Whites and with the player having dropped down Farke’s pecking order.

Ideally, Leeds would like to include Piroe as part of the deal, bringing that £40m outlay down to £25m, which when amortised over the length of Strand Larsen’s contract, would make the figure a much more tangible one for the Whites to swallow.

Wolves prepare for Strand Larsen exit by targeting Bristol City attacker

Wolves, for their part, are open to Strand Larsen’s sale, and we understand that the club are now preparing for life back in the Championship. While their form has picked up considerably in recent weeks, the gap to safety is deemed too large and they are now forward planning to what they hope will be a successful promotion push next time out.

To that end, the club feels that selling Strand Larsen this month, while still a Premier League club, represents their best chance at claiming a hefty fee for the former Celta Vigo striker.

However, Wolves will not be rushed into his sale, with the Old Gold instead prepared to bide their time and ensure any offer meets their requirements and is deemed suitable. As a result, they are prepared to wait until the final days and hours of the winter window – due to close at 7pm on Monday February 2 – before sanctioning a sale.

The club, though, are preparing for the departure of Strand Larsen, though, by targeting a clutch of players they hope can help them navigate a strong promotion push next time out.

And according to Football Insider, one man they are keen on is Bristol City’s attacking midfielder Anis Mehmeti, who has registered nine goals and added six assists from 31 appearances across all competitions this season.

The Albania international – a former Tottenham Hotspur academy prospect – will be out of contract this summer, and a move away this month looks a strong possibility.

Whether Wolves will also be tempted by Leeds’ willingness to sell Piroe remains to be seen, though the former Swansea forward has made clear his desire to stay and fight for an opportunity under Farke in the Premier League this season.

One thing that could benefit Leeds, though, is the fact that Strand Larsen’s agent is, in fact, a Leeds United season ticket holder. He was in attendance on Saturday as the Whites saw off Fulham 1-0 thanks to a last-gasp Nmecha goal, fuelling rumours that a move for his client to West Yorkshire could be on the cards.

Leeds transfer latest: Links to €15m Austrian dismissed; permanent Buonanotte update

Meanwhile, YEP journalist Graham Smyth has also explained why a swap involving Piroe could prove the ‘lever’ for the Whites to sign Strand Larsen.

Elsewhere, claims made by Fabrizio Romano that Leeds are in talks over a €15m deal to sign an Austrian attacker have been emphatically dismissed in a real mic-drop moment by Smyth.

Finally, while Leeds have made one signing so far this month, Facundo Buonanotte, sources can reveal what Leeds must do if they are to push through a permanent deal for the on-loan Argentina international playmaker.