Canterbury Palace
Member
- Location
- Whitstable
- Country
England
Mike McGrath of The Telegraph says we're in the hunt for Strand Larsen in addition to João Gomes, also of Wolves.
I've asked ChatGPT to summarise both players because I'm too lazy to look myself:
Jørgen Strand Larsen – Striker (Wolves)
Strand Larsen is the type of number nine Palace actually lacks, not another wide forward pretending to be a striker. He’s a 6’4″ Norwegian centre-forward with real physical presence — strong in the air, hard to bully, and comfortable finishing in crowded penalty areas. In his first Premier League season he showed he can deliver consistent goals rather than purple patches, becoming Wolves’ main reference point up top before injuries slowed his momentum.
Crucially, he’s not just a static target man. He can run channels, link play with midfield runners, and attack crosses with conviction — all things Palace’s current forward options struggle to do reliably. The concern isn’t his profile, it’s his body: fitness issues have cropped up, and Wolves see him as a key asset, so he won’t come cheap. But stylistically, he’s a proper focal striker — feed him properly and he scores. If Palace don’t want to change how they attack, there’s no point signing him.
João Gomes – Midfielder (Wolves)
Gomes is not a glamour signing, and that’s exactly why he’d matter. He’s a high-intensity central midfielder whose game is built on aggression, pressing, and ball recovery rather than creativity. He hunts the ball relentlessly, breaks up play, and sets the tone physically — the kind of player managers love and opposition midfielders hate.
Despite his smaller frame, he covers ground relentlessly and has enough composure to move the ball quickly after winning it, making him more than a pure destroyer. He’s developed into a disciplined box-to-box option who can protect the back line without killing momentum. What he won’t give Palace is goals or line-splitting passes — but what he will give is structure, bite, and control in midfield areas where Palace too often get overrun.
I've asked ChatGPT to summarise both players because I'm too lazy to look myself:
Jørgen Strand Larsen – Striker (Wolves)
Strand Larsen is the type of number nine Palace actually lacks, not another wide forward pretending to be a striker. He’s a 6’4″ Norwegian centre-forward with real physical presence — strong in the air, hard to bully, and comfortable finishing in crowded penalty areas. In his first Premier League season he showed he can deliver consistent goals rather than purple patches, becoming Wolves’ main reference point up top before injuries slowed his momentum.
Crucially, he’s not just a static target man. He can run channels, link play with midfield runners, and attack crosses with conviction — all things Palace’s current forward options struggle to do reliably. The concern isn’t his profile, it’s his body: fitness issues have cropped up, and Wolves see him as a key asset, so he won’t come cheap. But stylistically, he’s a proper focal striker — feed him properly and he scores. If Palace don’t want to change how they attack, there’s no point signing him.
João Gomes – Midfielder (Wolves)
Gomes is not a glamour signing, and that’s exactly why he’d matter. He’s a high-intensity central midfielder whose game is built on aggression, pressing, and ball recovery rather than creativity. He hunts the ball relentlessly, breaks up play, and sets the tone physically — the kind of player managers love and opposition midfielders hate.
Despite his smaller frame, he covers ground relentlessly and has enough composure to move the ball quickly after winning it, making him more than a pure destroyer. He’s developed into a disciplined box-to-box option who can protect the back line without killing momentum. What he won’t give Palace is goals or line-splitting passes — but what he will give is structure, bite, and control in midfield areas where Palace too often get overrun.
