Alan Shearer was quick to shut down Micah Richards as he claimed Newcastle United unsettled summer target Jorgen Strand Larsen in the same way Liverpool did to Alexander Isak.
The two joined Gary Lineker for the most recent instalment of The Rest Is Football, recapping all of the Carabao Cup action from midweek. As the show progressed, the three began speaking about Chelsea’s clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, which ultimately saw Enzo Maresca’s side run out 4-3 winners to advance to the quarter-finals of the competition.
However, it didn’t take long for Strand Larsen’s name to be brought up by Shearer as a result of Wolves’ woes this season, given they currently also languish at the bottom of the Premier League standings without a single win to show from their opening nine games.
Shearer explained: “I don’t suspect this Strand Larsen thing helped either – when it was touch and go and Newcastle were coming in,” before he was interrupted by Richards, who said: “Newcastle…You’re talking about Liverpool unsettling Isak, you unsettled Strand Larsen.”
However, never one to take a ribbing without giving it back, Shearer responded with a straight face: “I never mentioned that at all, you brought that up,” before letting out a chuckle. Richards then replied sarcastically: “It’s alright when it works in your favour, isn’t it?”
As a result of scoring 14 goals in the Premier League last season, Strand Larsen found himself linked with a move to St James’ Park this summer, following a dramatic saga that ultimately saw Isak leave the club to join Liverpool in a record-breaking £125million move.
Wolves reportedly received a number of bids for the 25-year-old centre-forward from the Magpies, with Vitor Pereira insistent on retaining the talent for 2025/26. He said at the time: “If it’s my decision, of course [we will keep him]. Of course. Because he’s a very important player.
Wolves reportedly received a number of bids for the 25-year-old centre-forward from the Magpies, with Vitor Pereira insistent on retaining the talent for 2025/26. He said at the time: “If it’s my decision, of course [we will keep him]. Of course. Because he’s a very important player.
“It’s not only about the technical and tactical, it’s about the character. He’s a player with character. I can imagine his mind in this moment because he listens to a lot of things, reading a lot of things, and then he keeps the commitment.
“Until now, Jorgen is our player. We’ll see what happens. I understand football. Football is football. Every player has a price, I believe. Even [Lionel] Messi or Cristiano [Ronaldo]. I understand football, but for me, he is very, very important for us. We’ll see what happens.”
While Wolves ultimately were able to keep Strand Larsen at Molineux, the Norwegian has failed to provide in terms of goals and assists this season. He currently has just one goal to his name in the Premier League from seven outings.
While Newcastle United fans will be devastated by the manner in which Isak’s exit unfolded, the Swedish striker has yet to justify his price tag at Anfield. The 26-year-old has featured on four occasions for the Reds in the Premier League this season, with no goals and a single assist to his name for his efforts – the only time he has found the back of the net came in the club’s 2-1 Carabao Cup win over the Championship’s Southampton in September.
United ultimately decided to bring in Yoane Wissa from Brentford and Nick Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart to bolster their front line this summer, with the choice to acquire the latter already paying dividends. The 23-year-old German has already established himself as a fan favourite with six goals from 11 appearances across all competitions for the Magpies.
Wissa, meanwhile, is yet to appear for the club since making the move from Brentford this summer, as a result of a knee injury. The Magpies are currently flying high on cloud nine after their resurgence continued on Wednesday night as Eddie Howe’s men claimed a 2-0 win over Spurs in the Carabao Cup, with Fabian Schar and Woltemade on target to secure their fourth win from their last five.
They now turn their attention back to the Premier League, when they face a struggling West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday.