Report: Nottingham Forest have joined the race to sign Premier League striker | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest transfer news: Jorgen Strand Larsen emerges as January target

Credit to The Telegraph for its reporting on Nottingham Forest’s growing interest in Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, with John Percy outlining how an unwanted injury update has accelerated decision making at the City Ground.

Forest were not planning a loud January, but the Chris Wood setback has changed the brief. Wood could be sidelined for “months” after a knee operation, and that timeframe reaches the part of the season where margins feel sharpest. When reliable goals are removed from the squad, recruitment stops being optional and becomes a risk assessment.

Forest forced into January rethink

Sean Dyche has been consistent publicly, and the clarity helps explain why Forest have already made an initial inquiry. After the 2-0 home defeat by Everton, he said: “We’re always assessing and the ownership will back the club, we know that.“You’ve still got to find the people and it’s still got to be the right deal. The injury [for Wood] will be months, not weeks.”

That is the key line, “months, not weeks”. Forest can absorb a short term absence with internal solutions, they cannot absorb a long one without changing the squad’s shape and threat.

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Strand Larsen price point and competition

The Telegraph notes West Ham United and Crystal Palace are also keen, and that Wolves could demand around £40m. That figure does two things, it narrows the field, and it turns any chase into a test of conviction.

Forest’s interest reads as measured rather than impulsive. An inquiry is not a bid, but it signals they are checking the conditions, availability, structure, and timing, while mapping alternatives. With multiple clubs monitoring the same striker, Wolves hold leverage unless they decide a sale best serves their wider reset.

Wolves context and player profile

Strand Larsen, 25, is not being discussed as a theoretical talent. He has delivered output in England, scoring 14 league goals last season after arriving from Celta Vigo, and that kind of production travels well in recruitment meetings.

The wider Wolves picture matters too. The report describes a club “seemingly doomed for relegation”, and it mentions the forward being jeered when substituted during the 4-1 defeat by Manchester United on December 8. That sort of moment does not force a transfer, but it can shape how a player, and a fanbase, view the months ahead.

Wolves have also shown resolve before. Newcastle United reportedly had offers totalling £50m and £55m rejected in the summer, and Wolves then tied Strand Larsen down to a new contract. Translation, Forest would need either a compelling package or a market shift that makes Wolves receptive.

Knock on effects across Forest’s squad

A new striker often triggers exits. The Telegraph reports Bundesliga and Ligue 1 clubs are pursuing a loan for Arnaud Kalimuendo, and that Willy Boly could also depart in January. It also suggests that signing Strand Larsen, or another forward, could open the possibility of Taiwo Awoniyi moving on.

This is the January reality for Forest, solve the Wood problem, keep Dyche’s structure intact, and streamline the group so minutes, roles, and chemistry become clearer. Whether Strand Larsen is the answer or simply the benchmark, the inquiry itself shows Forest have accepted the window just became more complicated.

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From a Nottingham Forest fan perspective, this report feels like a proper nudge to protect the season, rather than gamble on patching things up match to match. Chris Wood being out for “months” hurts, because he gives us a focal point, a reference for Sean Dyche’s patterns, and a calm head in big moments. When Dyche says, “We’re always assessing and the ownership will back the club, we know that.” it reads like a promise that the club will act, but only with discipline.

Jorgen Strand Larsen fits that idea. He is not a luxury, he is a solution. If Wolves want £40m, that is steep, but January shopping rarely comes with discounts, and a striker with Premier League output is even harder to find. With West Ham and Crystal Palace hovering, Forest would have to be decisive, but that does not mean reckless.

What excites me is the ripple effect. If Kalimuendo goes on loan and the squad is trimmed, Dyche can keep standards high and minutes meaningful. Strand Larsen arriving with a point to prove, after being jeered, could actually suit Forest. We love players who channel frustration into work. Give him service, keep the back door shut, and suddenly this window looks like an opportunity, not a crisis.