Key Points

• Leeds United are exploring an alternative striker target to Wolves forward Jorgen Strand Larsen as the January transfer deadline approaches.
• A FootballFanCast report titled “Strand Larsen alternative: Leeds making checks to sign Farke’s next Pukki” claims the club are actively conducting background checks on another centre-forward likened to Teemu Pukki from Daniel Farke’s Norwich City days.​
• Jorgen Strand Larsen remains a prime target, but Crystal Palace have led the race with a package worth around £45m plus £5m in add-ons agreed with Wolves, although that deal is now described as “hanging in the balance”.
• Leeds have enquired about signing Strand Larsen and have seen offers up to roughly £39–40m rejected, with Wolves understood to be holding out for around £40m and previously higher figures in the summer.
• Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas and James Savundra, along with other outlets, report that Palace are considering walking away from the Strand Larsen deal, which could reopen the door for Leeds if the price drops.
• Despite strong interest, Leeds are said not to be under pressure to sign a striker and will not go beyond their valuation, preferring to structure any fee in instalments due to Premier League financial rules.
• Leeds have already signed Facundo Buonanotte on loan this window, and the team’s 11-game unbeaten run since early December has eased immediate relegation fears while still leaving survival as the primary objective.
• Football finance expert Dan Plumley told MOT Leeds News he is “a little bit surprised” at the scale of Leeds’ willingness to pay for Strand Larsen, noting the strategic angle of weakening a relegation rival in Wolves.​
• TeamTalk and other transfer specialists report that Leeds’ recruitment team are working late in the window to deliver at least one major attacking signing for Daniel Farke, with the “next Pukki” profile central to their plan.
• Daniel Farke has previously stressed that unity and careful, targeted additions are his priority, insisting that Leeds’ Premier League status and historic stature already make the club an attractive destination for forwards.​

Strand Larsen alternative: Leeds making checks to sign Farke’s next Pukki

Leeds (The Leeds Times) January 30, 2026 – Leeds United are intensifying their late-window striker search by running checks on an alternative centre-forward dubbed “Farke’s next Pukki”, as detailed in a FootballFanCast report, while negotiations around primary target Jorgen Strand Larsen remain delicately poised amid Crystal Palace’s faltering £50m pursuit.

Why are Leeds United seeking an alternative to Jorgen Strand Larsen?

Leeds’ move to explore an alternative option stems from the complex and increasingly expensive nature of any deal for Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen. According to BBC Sport, Leeds have formally enquired about signing the Norway international and were informed he would cost around £40m, with profitability and sustainability regulations (PSR) a key consideration for the Elland Road hierarchy.

As reported by the Sky Sports News team of Lyall Thomas and James Savundra, Crystal Palace had reached an agreement in principle with Wolves on a £45m fee plus £5m in potential add-ons, a structure that effectively set the market benchmark and pushed Strand Larsen’s price to the upper limit of Leeds’ comfort zone.

TeamTalk’s transfer reporting further reveals that Leeds have already seen offers in the region of £39–40m turned down, suggesting Wolves are reluctant to accept anything below their revised valuation despite their precarious league position. With time running out before the window closes and Palace’s deal “hanging in the balance”, Leeds’ recruitment team are wary of being left without a reinforcement up front, prompting checks on another striker who fits Daniel Farke’s preferred profile.

Who is the “next Pukki” Leeds are reportedly checking, and why is he compared to Teemu Pukki?

FootballFanCast have framed Leeds’ new target as “Farke’s next Pukki”, explicitly drawing a comparison to Teemu Pukki, the prolific Finnish striker who spearheaded Daniel Farke’s Norwich City attack in the Championship and Premier League. While the FootballFanCast article headline and snippet emphasise that Leeds “have identified another striker who could join before the transfer window closes”, the detailed identity, club and statistics of this alternative forward are not fully accessible in the public-facing preview content.​

However, the “next Pukki” tag is grounded in tactical and stylistic parallels rather than name recognition alone. At Norwich, Pukki thrived as a mobile, clever finisher who pressed from the front, combined neatly in tight spaces and excelled at timing runs in behind – traits Farke values highly in a lone striker system. By attaching this label, FootballFanCast are signalling that the alternative Leeds are assessing is believed to possess similar movement, finishing instincts and work rate, making him a potentially ideal fit for Farke’s possession-based, front-foot approach at Elland Road.

What is the current state of Leeds United’s pursuit of Jorgen Strand Larsen?

The chase for Strand Larsen has developed into one of the defining transfer sagas of Leeds’ January window. BBC Sport’s coverage confirms that Leeds have enquired about buying the Wolves forward and been quoted a price of around £40m, although no formal bid at that exact valuation has yet been accepted. Earlier in the month, TeamTalk revealed that a substantial Leeds offer – understood to be in the high thirties, close to £39m – was rejected by Wolves, who are open to a sale but have sought to protect their asset despite languishing at the bottom of the Premier League.

As reported by Sky Sports News and summarised by Lyall Thomas and James Savundra, Crystal Palace emerged as frontrunners by agreeing a package worth £45m plus £5m in add-ons, only for their move to now be described as “hanging in the balance” after intermediaries indicated Palace may be ready to walk away. Other sources close to the deal insist negotiations remain ongoing, yet the uncertainty has emboldened Leeds, who “remain at the table” but are refusing to go above £40m and want to pay the fee in instalments with PSR constraints in mind. At the same time, reporting from BBC Sport and Sky Sports stresses that Leeds are not under absolute pressure to sign a striker and are unlikely to pivot to another high-fee forward if Strand Larsen ultimately chooses Selhurst Park.

How has Strand Larsen performed and why is he in demand despite Wolves’ struggles?

Strand Larsen’s market value is underpinned by both recent and longer-term performances in England. According to BBC Sport, the Norway international has scored six goals in all competitions for Wolves this season, including a hat-trick in the FA Cup against League Two side Shrewsbury Town, although only one of those goals has come in the Premier League – a penalty against Burnley in October. Sky Sports add that he previously struck 14 league goals last season after initially arriving on loan from Celta Vigo, form which persuaded Wolves to make the transfer permanent in a £23m deal and hand him a new five-year contract.

As reported by Football365 and other transfer outlets, Newcastle United had multiple bids rejected for Strand Larsen in the summer, with offers approaching £60m illustrating how highly he was rated after that breakout campaign. Even though his output has dipped slightly in a struggling Wolves team this term, his age profile at 25, Premier League experience and physical attributes as a leading-line forward have ensured sustained interest from Crystal Palace, Leeds and previously West Ham and Nottingham Forest. Wolves’ likely relegation and their need to balance finances have opened the door for bids, but the Midlands club have so far proved reluctant to compromise significantly on valuation.

What financial and strategic factors are influencing Leeds’ striker hunt?

Leeds’ approach to this window is being shaped by a combination of financial prudence and strategic thinking at the bottom end of the Premier League table. BBC Sport notes that the club must remain compliant with profitability and sustainability rules, which has led them to pursue a payment structure for Strand Larsen involving instalments rather than a large, upfront lump sum. Sky Sports similarly report that Leeds are keen to stay within Premier League financial limitations and view Strand Larsen as a unique market opportunity rather than a deal they can stretch indefinitely to complete.

Football finance expert Dan Plumley, speaking to MOT Leeds News, admitted he is “a little bit surprised” at the size of the fee Leeds are willing to contemplate for Strand Larsen, particularly given pre-window suggestions the club would operate quietly in January.

As quoted in that piece, Plumley argued that there is a strategic dimension to the pursuit, remarking that signing the Norwegian could “weaken a rival” in Wolves, who “look nailed-on for relegation”, and thereby reduce the number of clubs Leeds are directly fighting below them. At the same time, TeamTalk’s transfer reporting makes clear that Leeds are mindful not to compromise the broader balance of the squad and will not chase one player at any cost, which helps explain the parallel move to explore an alternative “next Pukki” option as leverage and contingency.

How does Leeds’ current form and January business shape their transfer stance?

Leeds’ position heading into the final days of the window is stronger than at the start of December, and that context is crucial to understanding their approach. FootballFanCast highlight that the Whites have embarked on an 11-game unbeaten run since early December, a sequence that has lifted them five points clear of the relegation zone and eased immediate pressure on Daniel Farke’s job. As the same outlet notes, this resurgence has prompted the board to consider further backing Farke in the market, but from a position of relative stability rather than desperation.

Facundo Buonanotte’s loan arrival from Brighton remains the only senior addition so far, a move designed to add creativity and depth in attacking areas behind the main striker. In an earlier, broader interview about transfer plans, reported by Yahoo’s aggregation of local coverage, Farke emphasised unity and continuity, stressing that there would be no significant departures from the first-team group and that any incomings must enhance rather than disrupt the squad dynamic.

He underlined that Leeds’ Premier League status, history and Elland Road’s atmosphere make the club “appealing to nearly every player globally”, reinforcing the idea that they can afford to be selective as they weigh up whether to land Strand Larsen, pivot fully to the “next Pukki” alternative, or trust their existing forwards to finish the season.

What could happen next before the transfer window closes?

As the deadline approaches, several plausible scenarios are emerging from the converging reports across national and specialist outlets. If Crystal Palace ultimately walk away from their £50m package for Strand Larsen and Wolves soften their stance, Leeds’ long-standing interest and refusal to go beyond £40m could yet result in a compromise fee, particularly if the player prioritises staying in the Premier League and sees Elland Road as an attractive destination.

Alternatively, should Palace revive and close their deal, or Wolves maintain a firm £40m-plus insistence that Leeds deem excessive under PSR constraints, attention is likely to swing more decisively towards the unnamed “next Pukki” target identified by FootballFanCast.

Any such move would aim to secure a forward capable of replicating the goal-scoring, pressing and link-up play that Teemu Pukki delivered for Farke at Norwich, while potentially representing better value and lower risk than a £40–50m outlay. In every case, reports from BBC Sport, Sky Sports, TeamTalk, MOT Leeds News and FootballFanCast collectively suggest that Leeds’ hierarchy are determined to back Farke sensibly, balancing ambition with financial responsibility as they seek the extra firepower to turn their unbeaten run into definitive Premier League safety.