Bookmakers have seemingly tipped Crystal Palace to miss out on Jorgen Strand Larsen.
The sudden U-turn comes after it emerged the Wolves striker’s proposed move to Selhurst Park was in major doubt.
A £50million deal had been agreed in principle, but Palace are prepared to back out of talks. As a result, Strand Larsen could stay at Molineux with the transfer deadline rapidly approaching.
Odds Drift On Jorgen Strand Larsen To Crystal Palace
As reported by SportsCasting, Palace were huge 1/7 favourites as recently as Thursday.
The race had been wide open earlier this week, but The Athletic then reported that the Eagles were closing in on an agreement with Wolves after negotiations with super agent Jorge Mendes.
A £45m fee plus £5m in performance-related bonuses had been tabled.
Leeds also made an offer worth around £40m, but were not willing to go any higher to seal a club-record swoop.
That seemingly left the door open for Palace to pounce in their search for a replacement for Jean-Philippe Mateta.
AC Milan want Mateta and are close to wrapping up the deal, and Oliver Glasner is unsurprisingly desperate to add a new No 9 to fill the void.
Strand Larsen initially looked a near-certainty to join, but the odds have since drifted.
Indeed, Palace are now tipped at 4/7 to sign the 25-year-old, with Leeds further adrift on 6/4.
Nottingham Forest are now at 6/1, with Tottenham and Everton both on 12/1 respectively.
Despite their odds tumbling, Palace are still in the driving seat, with bookmakers open to the possibility of the deal being revived.
It has been suggested that the threat to pull the plug is simply a negotiating tactic, which will offer hope to punters with money on the line.
Regardless, the Eagles appear to be pushing for a cheaper deal.
Strand Larsen Transfer Update
Wolves, the Premier League’s basement club, would be happy to keep Strand Larsen if their £50m asking price is not met.
The Norwegian forward’s 14-goal haul last season proved he can perform in the top-flight. This could, of course, prove decisive in the Midlands outfit’s bid for a Mission Impossible-style escape.
He has been included in the matchday squad against Bournemouth on Saturday, boss Rob Edwards confirmed.
“It’s pretty clear, he’s trained and he’ll be part of the squad tomorrow,” said Edwards.
“He’s trained really well today, so that’s as much as I can say on it really at the moment. That’s something for them [if Palace have backed out].
“Obviously I’m working for Wolves, so I don’t know.”
All odds in this article are subject to change.
