Sporting director Matt Hobbs believes Wolves are getting a striker whose career is only heading in one direction with the loan signing of Jorgen Strand Larsen.
The 24-year-old Norwegian – who Wolves first scouted as a teenager back in 2018 – produced one of the best seasons of his career last term when he fired 13 goals in La Liga for Celta Vigo, promoting the Old Gold to make him their number one attacking target.
With Strand Larsen now through the door, Hobbs feels the first few weeks of the 2024 summer transfer window has taken him back to January 2023 where Wolves added six key members to their squad, as the sporting director has also been able to pounce early to sign fellow first choice options, with all new additions providing Gary O’Neil’s squad with a boost ahead of pre-season training getting underway.
On signing a new number nine
“Everyone knows that bringing in a number nine was really important to us – like it was to a number of Premier League clubs – this year. Sasa [Kalajdzic] has been so unlucky with his injuries and on his road to coming back, so we needed some depth and we saw that last season.
“Hee Chan [Hwang] is a different type of forward, while Nathan [Fraser] is still learning his trade and Leon [Chowime] is still learning as well.
“What is nice for us is that Jorgen was our number one target for a nine in the summer and we’ve managed to get it done. But all three new signings so far were our number one choices in their position, so for us internally, it feels similar to the January in 2023 when we brought in Mario [Lemina], Daws, and everyone else, because they are three of the ones we really wanted to get done.
“Now the hope is that they all have the same level of impact on the pitch. But we’re really excited to have Jorgen here.”
On developing into a top striker
“The most important thing for me has been his constant development. Every year he’s got better. We’re not buying the finished article and he won’t say he’s the finished article, because he’s still on that journey, but for me, what I like is that constant improvement.
“What Gary [O’Neil] loved about him was not only the fact that he scores goals, but the amount of work and running he does for the rest of the team and the chances he likes to create for other people. He probably takes as much satisfaction in what he does for other people than what he does for himself.
“We talk a lot about humility at this football club, and Jorgen fits that perfectly. The development he’s had year on year – and you can also see his international career developing all the time – we’re getting a guy whose career is on the way up and we hope to keep helping him improve and develop so he can get to the levels we think he can reach.”
On what Stand Larsen brings to Wolves
“He’s a great guy. He’s got a really good charisma about him and has a great personality, plus he also speaks perfect English, which is great, and he also speaks fluent Spanish, which is also helpful. So, to get a player who was wanted by lots of clubs because of what he’s done in Spain, but one who is also still young, still learning and still developing, and to bring in our number one choice, has been great.
“I was sat with him at breakfast and he’s such a relaxed guy, he’s very laid back and he’s taking it all in his stride. Language helps, but also, these players also want to come and play in the Premier League. You have that natural relaxed attitude of the boy, you know that language isn’t going to be an issue, culturally it’s not an issue, and now he’s coming to play in the Premier League, having proven himself in Spain, he’s really driven to show who he is.
“We may end up being a part of his journey, but like all the players who eventually move on, if they can all play a really big part in Wolves being successful, then so bit it. I’m perfectly comfortable with that.
“He’ll definitely take everything in his stride and he’s already got a bit of British banter about him and fits in well into the culture here, so we have no concerns over that side of it. I think he’s just ready to get going.”
On being able to play across the forward line
“Obviously, it’s better to have more versatile players in the squad, but Gary’s only looking at him as a number nine.
“Jorgen sees himself as a number nine, and when he’s had to play wide – which he’s had to do for Norway because they’ve got Haaland through the middle – he’s shown humility because although he wants to play down the middle, he also wants to play for his country so adapts to a different position. But for us, we’re very much looking at him to be a number nine.
“If you look at the options we have in the wide areas, Channy can move out wide and has played a lot of football there, it shows that we have cover in the wider areas, so he can concentrate more on being a number nine – but versatility is always useful to have.”
On Wolves first scouting him back in 2018
“I can’t say gut instinct [is why Wolves have signed him now], because it should be more technical than that, but you get to a point where you’ve watched a boy develop over a couple of years, someone you’ve always kept an eye on, and you wonder when the right time is, in terms of what you’ve seen.
“Having done it in Spain, and having played with the stature, the style and the charisma he has, if we had waited and he moves to another club, we probably then couldn’t afford him.
“With every player we look at in the market, when he goes from where he was to a Champions League team, he then almost comes beyond us, so we’d have to forget about him. So, it’s about finding the balance between where we think he is in the development path to when we believe financially is the right time to do it.”
Click here to hear Matt Hobbs' thoughts on fellow signing Pedro Lima.
