Jorgen Strand Larsen is a top-quality striker.
The Norwegian scored 14 goals in his first season in the Premier League.
Strand Larsen’s performances would prompt Wolves to make his move permanent over the summer, but that wouldn’t stop Newcastle from attempting to steal him.
Bids nearing the £60 million mark came in, and Wolves shot every one of them down. They realised the important role Strand Larsen would play in their survival bid this season.
But it seems not everyone rates him so highly.
Sam Allardyce leaves Jorgen Strand Larsen out of list
Big Sam Allardyce has turned his hand to punditry after a storied managerial career, and he’s never shy about giving his opinion.
But his latest take on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast has missed the mark.
Allardyce was asked for his top 10 current Premier League strikers, and Strand Larsen didn’t make the cut.
The Premier League is stacked with striker talent, it’s true, but there aren’t ten better than the Norwegian.
This is a player Newcastle were desperate to get in after Alexander Isak’s departure, and they were willing to shell out close to £60 million for his services.
Some of the names ahead of Strand Larsen include Liam Delap, Yoane Wissa and Viktor Gyokeres. It’s surely too soon to have Gyokeres in a top 10 strikers list, having only just arrived back in England.
Wissa is the man Newcastle ended up with, and while he is absolute quality, he’s not a better centre-forward than the Norwegian. And Liam Delap? Don’t think so.
There’s not a whole lot more he could have done last season, scoring at that rate for a struggling Wolves side without penalties.
Vitor Pereira also misses out
Allardyce did another top 10 in that episode as well, ranking the best pound-for-pound Premier League managers.
We can’t criticise him for omitting Vitor Pereira, with Wolves dead last in the standings. If you had asked that question six months ago, though, it would have been a different story.
That’s the cyclical nature of football. One minute, you’re a hero, earning the plaudits and getting recognition.
But if you’re in a struggling side, you’ll find it hard to break into lists like these.