David Sullivan wants £20m striker deal: ‘This is what I know from people at West Ham’
West Ham could struggle to agree terms with Wolves over a January deal for Jorgen Strand Larsen given their limited transfer budget.
That is according to former West Ham and Man United senior scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side will be priced out of signing the 25-year-old.
This comes after Football Insider exclusively revealed on 7 December that West Ham will only spend £20million on a new forward in January.
Wolves are set to demand well over that fee for Strand Larsen, having turned down a £55million offer from Newcastle in the summer window’s closing stages.
Meanwhile, despite a growing expectation that they will be relegated, Wolves are reluctant to lose their most important players and further dent their chances of survival.
West Ham’s Jorgen Strand Larsen interest to be blocked
Brown told Football Insider last month that Strand Larsen is interested in leaving Wolves in January after being unsettled by the speculation during the summer.
The former scout, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted that while he could be set to leave Molineux, West Ham will struggle to do a deal.
“West Ham are looking for a new striker,” he told Football Insider.
“But I know from people at the club, they want to solve their striker problem for £20million. That’s not going to happen, it’s impossible.
“I don’t know how they think they can sign somebody like Strand Larsen for that price.
“I’ve been paying attention to his performances this season, and to be honest, the way he’s played for Wolves, I’d be wary of paying any huge fee for him.
“But there might be other reasons for that and I understand he was very impressive last year.
“So for West Ham, I can see why he’s somebody who might be on their radar, because they’re in a position where they know they need a new forward.
“But if they’re only willing to spend £20million, there’s no way Wolves will let Strand Larsen go.
“They’ll be reluctant to lose players in January because even if it looks like they are going down, they want to give themselves every chance of staying up.“
West Ham set to miss out on top striker targets
Brown told Football Insider on 14 December that West Ham are working to identify strikers who could bolster their options up front ahead of the January window.
Strand Larsen has quickly emerged among those leading targets, but the Hammers are also eyeing a move to sign Norwich striker Josh Sargent.
This comes after Football Insider exclusively revealed on 15 December that West Ham scouts have been impressed by Sargent and his recent displays.
However, Brown told Football Insider on 23 December that Norwich will not accept £20million for Sargent, in another blow to the Hammers’ hopes.
Their reluctance to spend big in the mid-season window will likely cost them some major targets, adding to concerns in what has been a dismal season.
For more West Ham and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.