Crystal Palace have completed the club-record signing of Jørgen Strand Larsen from Wolves in a deal worth an initial £43m plus £5m in bonuses, just before Monday's 7pm deadline. The Norway striker's arrival comes after Jean-Philippe Mateta's proposed move to Milan collapsed due to concerns over a knee injury discovered during a second medical examination. Palace do not believe the injury requires surgery.
Mateta, who was left out of Sunday's draw against Nottingham Forest after manager Oliver Glasner said he was 'not at his best' due to transfer uncertainty, now faces competition for his place from Strand Larsen. The France striker was booed by supporters during his last appearance against Chelsea a fortnight ago and will need to win back their favour.
Palace also failed in a late bid to sign Everton's Dwight McNeil on loan with an obligation to buy for £20m, and were unable to secure a replacement for Marc Guéhi, who joined Manchester City in January. Chelsea rejected a loan offer for Josh Acheampong, while interest in West Ham's Max Kilman and Lyon's Ruben Kluivert was not pursued. Strand Larsen's signing takes Palace's spending this month to over £90m, having already broken the club record to sign Brennan Johnson from Tottenham for £35m earlier in January.
The draw against Forest extended Palace's winless run to 12 games in all competitions. Glasner, who has announced he will leave at the end of the season, criticised the club's hierarchy for leaving business until deadline day. 'I would prefer not always talking the day before the deadline,' he said. 'We have to make a step backwards... It feels like two years ago having to teach them how we want to play.'
