In a surprising turn of events, Wolverhampton Wanderers have accepted a reduced offer worth £48m for striker Jorgen Strand Larsen from Crystal Palace. This comes after an initial agreement in principle over a £50m deal was reached between the two clubs last week.
The original plan was simple: Crystal Palace would submit a written offer matching the agreed-upon value, and Wolves would accept. However, as revealed by BBC Sport, the written offer never arrived. Instead, Palace communicated their intention to withdraw from the deal altogether. This unexpected move put the transfer in jeopardy.
Contrary to what one might assume, sources claim that this decision wasn't due to concerns over Larsen's performance or potential as a player. Rather it was reservations about the total cost of the deal that led to this impasse.
New offer on table
With just over 24 hours left until the transfer window closes, there has been another twist in this tale. Crystal Palace has now submitted a new offer worth £43m plus an additional £5m in bonuses for 25-year-old Larsen - making it a total of £2m less than their original verbal agreement.
This development could potentially accelerate Jean-Philippe Mateta's move to AC Milan. The Italian club had previously agreed on a deal worth over £30m with Crystal Palace for Mateta’s transfer. Mateta has expressed his desire to leave Selhurst Park but until now, Palace had been unwilling to let him go without securing his replacement first. With Strand Larsen’s deal now agreed upon though, sources indicate that Mateta has been granted permission to undergo medical checks before flying off to Milan.
However, there is still some uncertainty surrounding Mateta's departure due to health concerns disclosed by Palace manager Oliver Glasner. Mateta has been nursing a knee issue, and it remains to be seen whether this will impact his medical checks.
This series of events has certainly added an element of suspense to the closing hours of the transfer window. Nottingham Forest's £35m bid for Mateta was rejected by Palace last weekend, but with Larsen's deal now in place and Mateta’s clear intention to join Milan, it seems like all pieces are falling into place. As sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike watch on eagerly, only time will tell how these transfers pan out.
