When West Ham United baulked at Wolves’ valuation for striker Jorgen Strand Larsen – Crystal Palace instead meeting their £48 million valuation – one wondered if this was a decision the Hammers would live to regret.
In a handy twist of fate, though, Strand Larsen could still end up playing a somewhat heroic, if relatively backseat role in West Ham United’s latest survival story.
Crystal Palace’s record signing pushed Tottenham Hotspur further to the brink on a real end-of-days evening in North London.
OK, this might actually be happening… 🤯
Image this; West Ham stay up at Spurs' expense!
West Ham have accumulated 12 more points than Spurs since beating their bitter rivals on January 17th.
Now, thanks in part to Strand Larsen’s neat, nutmeg finish under a hapless Guglielmo Vicario – Palace joined the Hammers in beating Tottenham on their own scorched turf – the momentum shifted further in Nuno Espirito Santo’s favour on an apocalyptic Thursday night for the Europa League holders.
Former West Ham United target Jorgen Strand Larsen deepens Tottenham gloom
West Ham made an enquiry for Strand Larsen a few days before the opening of the January transfer window.
Hammers News can confirm, though, that Wolves had David Sullivan running for the hills when slapping an audacious valuation on a striker who had only scored once in a miserable first half of the campaign.
In the end, Crystal Palace’s deadline day desperation, exacerbated by an injury to Jean-Philippe Mateta, had the Eagles stumping up more for Strand Larsen than their London rivals paid to sign both Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe.
Two for the price of one.
That £48 million price-tag, while still highly excessive, feels a little lighter around the Norwegian’s neck now though. As Tottenham capitulated once again – the biggest nightmare to hit a Tudor since Anne Boleyn’s affair – Strand Larsen stuck the knife into the ribs with the second in a 3-1 Crystal Palace victory.
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Spurs face Liverpool away next as Hammers seize momentum
If Oliver Glasner’s side can now be considered pretty safe – ten points clear of the bottom three – then Tottenham are not so much staring into the abyss as letting the black hole bore into their very soul.
If West Ham beat Man City at home in their next Premier League outing – a tall order admittedly – they could leapfrog both Nottingham Forest and Tottenham. Igor Tudor’s beleaguered side have a trip to Anfield to look forward to after the FA Cup break, by the way.
When West Ham wondered if Strand Larsen could help secure Premier League football for another season at the London Stadium, this was not how they would have imagined it.
Still, we’ll take it.
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