‘The scouting and data must be incredible’ – Keith Wyness stunned by Crystal Palace deal just agreed
Crystal Palace have overpaid for Jorgen Strand Larsen and Wolves have come out of the deal the better of the two clubs.
That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, after Crystal Palace signed Strand Larsen for £48million in the January transfer window.
Strand Larsen still arrived at Selhurst Park despite Jean-Philippe Mateta’s move to AC Milan not going through.
The 25-year-old has only scored one Premier League goal this season, and has joined from a Wolves side who are bottom of the table with just eight points.
Jorgen Strand Larsen was ‘big surprise’ of January
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – has not seen anything from Strand Larsen to suggest Crystal Palace should have signed the striker.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness praised Wolves for negotiating the deal they did.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I think it’s ridiculous, I really do. I’ve said this all along, he’s done nothing as far as I’ve seen.
“Certainly he is not impressed with Wolves. He hasn’t been the star of a Wolves team who’ve been poor. He’s been poorer than some of the team. I just don’t get it. The scouting and the data must be incredible for him because I certainly don’t see it on the pitch and I think that price is ridiculous, and I don’t know how his agent has done it.
“And for Palace to have invested that much in him just doesn’t make sense to me. So this is one that I’m waiting to see him performing in a decent Palace team for the rest of the season and how he fits the bill.
“Now, I know, Palace have had a very controversial window, we say, to say the least. But this one, to me, was the big surprise of the window at certainly that price. I think they could have got a much lower price than what they paid.
“I think Wolves have done well to get that price out of him. So I think Wolves are the winners in that transaction, but I just don’t see it happening for him, I’m afraid.”
Potential Oliver Glasner replacement named
Strand Larsen joins Crystal Palace knowing that Oliver Glasner will not be the manager of the club from the end of the season.
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola could replace Glasner at Crystal Palace, with the club having already started their search for his replacement.
Iraola has yet to commit his long-term future to Bournemouth, and could be available in the summer when his contract expires.