Crystal Palace's £50m Jorgen Strand Larsen swoop may COLLAPSE as Eagles prepare to walk away

Per the BBC, Palace are ready to walk away from a proposed £50m deal to sign Strand Larsen. The Premier League clubs had both agreed a deal that would see the centre-forward move to Selhurst Park from Molineux, but the framework of the deal being agreed was subject to Palace tabling a bid worth £50m. They have not done that yet, and now it appears Palace are willing to walk away. It may have a knock-on effect for the future of Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has been in talks over a potential move to Nottingham Forest before the deadline on Monday.

Strand Larsen scored 14 goals in 35 Premier League games last season but has been severely limited by his side's terrible form this season. Wolves are rock-bottom of the table and the 25-year-old has scored just once. He has a contract until 2030, and Rob Edwards has spoken about his star's future amid reports of Palace's bid.

He said: “He’s been great, he’s trained really well. He’ll be part of the squad tomorrow, so no change. That’s just all I’m looking at the moment, so seeing a player with a focus and a really good attitude.

“We’re not under any pressure to sell at all. We want to try and be as strong as we can throughout this period now. So, unless we feel it’s the right thing for the football club, no-one will go. No-one’s been knocking on my door. They’ve all shown a really good attitude and a desire to be here and train. But as long as that continues then it’s pretty straightforward.”

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

The BBC reported earlier this month that Leeds United had tabled a £33m bid for Strand Larsen but saw the offer rejected by Wolves. The deal would also have included £6m in add-ons, but it is unclear if Daniel Farke's side are willing to re-enter the bidding. 

Speaking on Thursday, he said: "We can be pretty picky with what we want to do. I don't want to speak publicly about this in January because in the summer I like to be open and transparent because it's a bit easier for me.

"The January market is always a bit more tricky because there are limited options."

He added: "The club knows exactly what I think we need to do during this window and they are aware about this before the window has ended.

"I'm not willing to give too much away because - if I tell you we need another number eight for example, then another potential club in negotiations knows this and the price goes up. So it makes no sense to mention which position we are desperate to do something in. The club knows my assessment. But I can confirm we are in a relaxed situation and I am also happy we have Facundo [Buonanotte] with us."

Wolves face Bournemouth this weekend as they once again bid to climb closer to safety. Palace, in the meantime, play Nottingham Forest in what could end up being a rather tetchy encounter, given the latter's interest in Mateta.