Good Morning. It's Friday 30th January, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Meltdown at Molineux as Palace walk away from Strand-Larsen deal
After agreeing a four year (loan to buy) deal with Aston Villa for versaitile forward Evann Guessand, Crystal Palace have sensationally decided to walk away from the Jorgen Stand-Larsen deal leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers in a state of panic. Social media lit up like a Christmas tree yesterday lunchtime after Palace lost sight of their senses, entering a £50m (£45 plus add-ons) verbal bid for the Norway International, but having agreed a deal for Evann Guessand, have re-evaluated their position, deciding not to make their bid official.
We now move on to Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta. Interest in the French International has cooled since the beginning of the year. Spurs, Juventus, Aston Villa and of course Nottingham Forest have all been linked to the £40m front man, with only Forest putting their money where their mouths are, having had an opening £35m bid rejected. The tricky trees will need to come up with another £5m if they are to close the deal and time is running out. It's been 72 hours since their initial bid; if they were to up their offer, wouldn't they have done it by now?
Wolves have some making up to do, if they want Leeds to complete the Strand-Larsen deal, but how will Leeds respond after being unceromoniously mistreated. If Wolves wait until the summer, the odds are, they'll be another £15m worse off, so they'll want to offload their star asset if they can. Will Wolves go cap in hand to the Elland Road board, and even if they do, will Leeds still be interested? The clock is ticking.
Harry Wilson to see his Fulham contract out
West London sources say Harry Wilson is “increasingly likely” to depart Craven Cottage when his contract expires at the end of the season. A month‑long impasse over a new deal, which the BBC reported was placed on hold last week, has turned speculation into a full‑blown deadline drama, with Leeds United, Sunderland and Everton named as the front‑runners. Wilson has already enjoyed a standout campaign for Fulham, tallying eight goals and four assists in 22 league appearances and holding a WhoScored rating of 7.04.
While Fulham’s board would undoubtedly like to retain their top‑rated winger, they have reached the dizzy heights of seventh, and have a realistic chance of European football next season. Leeds appear to be the favourites, not least because a transfer would reunite Wilson with a cohort of fellow Welsh internationals, goalkeeper Karl Darlow, defender Ethan Ampadu, midfielder Dan James and centre‑back Joe Rodon, offering both a familiararity on the pitch and a clear pathway to a revitalised, Wales‑laden squad.
Sunderland and Everton, meanwhile, are expected to pitch ambitious projects and the prospect of immediate first‑team action, meaning Wilson’s summer decision could shape the destiny of three very different clubs. As the transfer window narrows, all eyes will be on West London to see whether a last‑minute extension can be forged or whether Wilson will embark on a new chapter as a free agent.
