Wolves have often misfired in the transfer window but they struck gold when they captured Jorgen Strand Larsen on loan from Celta Vigo in the summer.
Gary O’Neil was mostly criticised towards the end of his Wolves tenure but he can be praised for landing Strand Larsen.
The 24-year-old has instantly excelled in the Premier League by scoring six goals in a side that struggled before Vitor Pereira’s arrival.
With a mix of strength, exceptional hold-up play and clinical finishing, the Norwegian has become an instant hit at Molineux and a rare beam of shining light through a dark period.
It is no surprise then that Strand Larsen has been compared to Erling Haaland, his fellow countryman and Manchester City’s superhuman goal machine.
Haaland is perhaps one reason why Strand Larsen made the switch to England while another is the hunger to emulate one former Wolves striker.
Jorgen Strand Larsen in awe of Wolves hero Raul Jimenez
Wolves have found out that a quality number nine is hard to come by. They’ve made several blunders in the transfer market, most notably Patrick Cutrone and Fabio Silva.
However, one time they struck gold was the signing of Raul Jimenez from Benfica in 2018.
In their golden era under Nuno Espirito Santo, Jimenez helped fire Wolves into the Europa League not once, but twice.
The Mexican became the club’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League with 40 goals, cementing his legacy as one of their greatest modern strikers.
Now, Strand Larsen is looking to craft a similar legacy at Molineux, and the Norwegian has spoken about how it’s ‘crazy’ he gets to wear the number nine shirt once donned by Jimenez.
“To go to Wolverhampton, a big club – been in PL for many years in a row now and some huge players – Raul Jimenez was a great no.9 here and just to be wearing the same number is crazy – unbelievable feeling,” he told Sky Sports presenter Danyal Khan.
Strand Larsen has outperformed Jimenez, Heung-min Son and others in 2024/25
It’s been an impressive start to life at Wolves for Strand Larsen and the Norwegian international has also outperformed several star names in England’s top flight, including Jimenez.
Strand Larsen’s total of six goals is better than Jimenez, Heung-min Son, Bukayo Saka, and Jarrod Bowen who are all on five.
Remarkably, the towering forward also boasts two assists, which shows how he isn’t just a prolific finisher of chances but he can also create them.
Wolves fans will hope they can stay in the Premier League as there is a huge chance Strand Larsen will become a permanent member of the squad, as long as certain clauses are triggered.
‘Unbelievable’: Strand Larsen shares what is ‘crazy’ about wearing the number nine shirt for Wolves
