Wolves have rejected a £50m bid from Newcastle for Jørgen Strand Larsen and maintain the striker is not for sale.
The club are aware Newcastle identified Strand Larsen as a key target but their stance is they cannot afford to sell the Norwegian before the transfer window closes on Monday. Wolves deem him irreplaceable owing to the timing and his record as a Premier League goalscorer.
Newcastle are without a bona fide No 9 amid the continued absence of Alexander Isak and the departure of Callum Wilson at the end of his contract. The Wolves head coach, Vítor Pereira, deems Strand Larsen his only senior striker.
The 25‑year‑old forward scored 14 top-flight goals for the club last season and joined in a £23m deal in July after a successful loan from Celta Vigo. Strand Larsen He was withdrawn towards the end of Wolves’ defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday with what Pereira described as a minor achilles problem.
Wolves have sold Matheus Cunha and Rayan Aït-Nouri this summer and the former club captain Nélson Semedo departed for Fenerbahce after rejecting a new contract.
Pereira is hopeful of offloading Fábio Silva, a £35m signing in 2020, on a permanent deal, while Hwang Hee-chan and Sasa Kalajdzic could also move before the deadline.
Newcastle have so far failed in attempts to sign Yoane Wissa from Brentford, who are holding out for what they deem a fair price for the forward, while Benjamin Sesko preferred a move to Manchester United.
Newcastle were also interested in Liam Delap and João Pedro, both of whom joined Chelsea.
Pereira wants at least three more signings: a central defender, with the club pushing for Girona’s Ladislav Krejci, a central midfielder and a versatile forward are priorities.
