Crystal Palace are braced for a change up top in the coming days as Jorgen Strand Larsen looks set to replace Jean-Philippe Mateta at Selhurst Park.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Eagles are close to signing the Norwegian international for a fee believed to be in the region of £50m from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Mateta, meanwhile, looks like he could follow Marc Guehi out the door.
Ben Jacobs reports that Nottingham Forest and Juventus are battling it out to secure his signature before the end of the transfer window.
The signing of Larsen isn’t a panic buy; it’s a methodical addition that’s etched into the blueprint of Oliver Glasner’s tactics.
How Glasner sets up
Even though Glasner is leaving Palace at the end of the season, Larsen’s first taste in a Palace shirt will come under him.
The Palace manager deploys a 3-4-2-1 formation, focusing on quick transitions and high-energy wing-back play.
In Glasner’s system, the lone striker is the focal point of the attack, getting on the end of crosses from Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell and linking the play.
The system is a dream for tall, strong centre forwards like Mateta and Larsen.
The system shaped Mateta into one of the most feared frontmen in the league.
The two attacking midfielders in Glasner’s current system are Brennan Johnson and Ismaili Sarr.
Glasner must have a striker who can play off two attacking midfielders and feed off their energy.
Why Jorgen Strand Larsen?
Even in a Wolves team struggling at the foot of the Premier League table, Larsen has won over 40% of his aerial duels.
In a set-up designed for crosses into the box, Larsen’s 6ft4 frame and aerial prowess are perfect attributes for Glasner’s wing-focused style.
Last season, Larsen showed how prolific he was with a connector of Matheus Cunha’s ilk, netting 14 league goals.
With Palace, Larsen can keep feeding off the exploits of Sarr and Johnson, two players who can carry the ball and find him in deadly positions.
He’s scored one league goal this season, but his sharp finishing hasn’t just disappeared.
In Wolves’ 6-1 win against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup, the Norwegian star netted a hat-trick.
Larsen is a player with the mobility to press from the front and mix up his game.
The striker tends to break the lines and feast on balls over the top, making him the ideal striker for Adam Wharton to pick out.
Wolves haven’t had a connector this season to pick out Larsen in good positions. Palace, meanwhile, have them in abundance.
Mateta, the cult hero
Mateta has gone from zero to hero at Crystal Palace, becoming the club’s most legendary striker of their Premier League era.
Playing second fiddle to Odsonne Edouard for the early part of his career, Mateta had to battle for minutes until Glasner arrived in February 2024.
The managerial change was the turning point in his career.
He scored 13 goals in the final 13 matches of the 2023/24 season.
The Frenchman’s focal point style and ability to get on the end of crosses caused severe nightmares for defenders.
Consequently, he became one of the most ferocious frontmen in the league. Last season, he scored 14 Premier League goals, helping Palace lift the FA Cup.
Mateta has scored 46 goals in 153 Premier League appearances, the most of any Crystal Palace player in the Premier League era.
Even in a depleted Palace team this campaign, the French international has scored eight goals in 23 games.
He is a player who lives and breathes the club, exceeding all expectations and shattering goal-scoring records.