Target Strand Larsen keen to leave Dutch club – but

MIDDLESBROUGH target Jorgen Strand Larsen admits he feels the time is right to leave FC Groningen this summer, but says he won’t push for any move.

Boro had identified the

Norwegian striker as a summer target and liked the 22-year-old enough to bid around £8 million to try and tempt Groningen into selling. However, the Dutch Eredivisie side have set their asking price at £12 million – a price beyond what Boro are willing to pay. They’ve also rejected bids from Italian side Bologna too.

Boro officials claim the deal is dead unless Groningen lower their asking price, with Boro unwilling to pay so much for a striker with no experience of playing in England. They ideally need two strikers before the window closes, and while being frustrated in their pursuit of Strand Larsen, they have all but completed the signing of young

American international forward Matthew Hoppe from RCD Mallorca.

Strand Larsen is 22 and feels, after netting 17 goals in the Netherlands last term, that the time is right to move on as he looks to continue progressing his career. But contracted for another two years, and with an extension clause on top of that, Groningen are in a position where they don’t have to sell, and seem unwilling to do so too.

Promising Groningen he would continue to give his all until such a time the club accepted a bid, Strand Larsen netted in his side’s first game of the season on Saturday, as they drew with Volendam. Speaking after the game, Strand Larsen laughed when asked by OOG Groningen if he’d prefer to be scoring those goals in either Italy or England.

He said: “I know what you are asking, and of course, it would be nice to score in both places. As a

striker who had a very good season last season, you always want to try and take new steps. But I am not pushing anything and I will have to see what the transfer market and the rest of the window will bring.

“I don’t want to leave Groningen and wish they were playing Champions League already so I wouldn’t have to leave. But it is not the case and so in the bigger picture, Groningen is not big enough to fulfil that potential.

“But still, for me, it is a very big club. I come from little Norway and it was a dream step for me to come here and take my potential further. But I am 22 now, I feel I achieved a lot last season and this could be a good time to take a step. But I’m not going to force anything.

“If the right moment comes with the right club I will probably be ready, and if the club agrees it, of course. But if that doesn’t come I am not going to bury myself to the ground. I will just stay positive and try to score even more goals this season.”

Strand Larsen has his career aspirations set highly. That attitude coupled with his obvious quality make him an obvious fit for Boro in their new forward-thinking transfer strategy. However, running sustainably is important too, and the club don’t want to overpay for a player.

Boro would still love to add Strand

Larsen this summer, and reports suggest he is keen on the move. Groningen’s manager Frank Wormuth is certainly confident he will still be working with the player throughout the upcoming season. And he told Voetbal International: “How Jorgen handles the situation? Varying, that makes sense. He can still learn at FC Groningen, I think he can become even more stable before he makes the step to a big club.”