Exclusive: Wolves Line Up Girona’s Vladyslav Vanat as Strand Larsen Replacement

Rob Edwards will plead with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ hierarchy to reinvest the overwhelming majority of the fee Crystal Palace will pay them to sign Jørgen Strand Larsen back into his squad with Girona’s Vladyslav Vanat among the list of possible replacements he has identified, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal. 

Strand Larsen’s move to Selhurst Park, which appeared in danger of collapsing towards the end of last week, is set to be officially ratified before this evening’s transfer deadline after the two clubs reopened talks.

Edwards, who named the Norwegian in his squad for Saturday’s defeat by AFC Bournemouth, had hoped to retain his services until the end of the season as he attempts to restore Wolves’ self-respect following a disastrous season.

But, with Strand Larsen now poised to be unveiled in south London, the former Middlesbrough and Luton Town chief has turned his attention towards what is set to be a major rebuilding project over the summer. 

Strand Larsen has been the subject of intense speculation in recent months, with Nottingham Forest and West Ham United both heavily linked alongside a number of other potential moves away from Molineux.

Rebuild Project

With the 25-year-old unlikely to be the only big name departure from Molineux over the coming months, Edwards wants to bolster the attacking options at his disposal in order to ensure Wolves regain their top flight status at the first attempt with relegation almost inevitable.

And Vanat, who has scored seven times in La Liga so far this term, is among those being considered given his similar skill set to Larsen and potential. Although the Ukrainian would not ordinarily consider joining a Championship side, our sources understand Wolves’ status and profile means his representatives are likely to give serious thought to a switch should an official approach materialise.

Given the complexities of arranging a deal with the Spaniards, Edwards is set to wait until the closing stages of the present campaign before entering into serious discussions with transfer targets. 

However, he has already urged Wolves’ owners to make money available for an overhaul of the squad at his disposal.