If you are looking for a looking for a differential forward at £6.5m, one name is quietly making a compelling case for a spot: Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jørgen Strand Larsen. After a solid first season at Molineux, the Norwegian is poised to step up after the sale of Matheus Cunha and become Wolves’ main man. He had joined last season on loan from Spanish side Celta Vigo but after certain clauses were triggered he has joined permanently for a fee of £23m.
Strand Larsen’s first season at Wolves was a tale of two halves. While he took some time to adapt to the rigors of the Premier League, he finished the campaign with an impressive 14 goals and 4 assists, a return that is not to be sniffed at for a player at his price point. His underlying numbers also paint a promising picture, with a notable uptick in form following the arrival of a new head coach, Vitor Pereira who seems to have unlocked his potential. FPL managers will remember that his £5.5m price point made him a fantastic enabler in the latter stages of the season.
What makes him so attractive from an FPL perspective is his role in the team. With Matheus Cunha’s departure, Strand Larsen is expected to be the focal point of the Wolves attack. He’s a physical presence, strong in the air, and possesses a poacher’s instinct in the box. He also looks likely to be on penalty duties, a major boost for any FPL asset.
Strand Larsen accumulated 0.57 xGOT against Manchester City despite a heavy 4-0 loss at home. It was always going to be a tough ask facing Pep Guardiola’s team.
He has a good fixture run until Gameweek 10, not to mention he will most likely not feature for Norway in their World Cup qualifiers with Haaland and Sørloth ahead of him in the pecking order.
Despite Strand Larsen’s impressive personal tally last season, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ overall attacking performance can be a concern. They have been inconsistent, and their ability to create chances for their forwards is not always guaranteed especially against stronger opponents as evidenced on Saturday against Manchester City.
Wolves have also had a shocking start to the season, drawing 1 and losing 4 of their last 5 matches. There is also now the competition from forwards such as Richarlison, Mayenda, Muniz, Fulkrug and Welbeck all at that £6.5m or less price point.
There is also the argument of saving money in midfield by going for Anderson and Reijnders and going for more premium forwards such as Watkins, Ekitike and Haaland. Chris Wood another great option is only £1.1m more and plays for a much better Nottingham Forest side.
This all depends on your team structure, the Norwegian has shown his goal scoring prowess and should he get service he will score goals and could become a great differential just like last season. He is currently owned only by 4.6% of the player base and could help you shoot up the ranks if everything goes to plan.
