Jørgen Strand Larsen - The Next Giant Of Norwegian Football

Meet Jørgen Strand Larsen, a giant Norwegian striker that isn’t Haaland that you need to know about, he even has the transfer mastermind, Luiz Campos's seal of approval.

By Liam Scahill

The 22-year-old is slender in age but not in build, the imposing Celta Vigo striker stands at a heroic height of 193cm / 6’4”.

Like many Norwegians before him, Strand Larsen made a name for himself in the technical fertile grounds of the Dutch Eredivisie.

He played 71 times for Groningen over a two-year period and plundered 27 goals prior to sailing into the sunset for the shores of La Liga this autumn.

The starlet was the subject of a summer of intense transfer speculation, which naturally impacted his relationship with Groningen.

The famous Dutch talent factory obviously wanted to maximise its’ profit on their Viking asset, Groningen reportedly rebuffed several bids from across the footballing regions, prior to accepting Celta Vigo’s offer.

A Summer Of Intense Transfer Speculation

Bologna and Middlesboro were heavily linked, but a reported 12-million-euro price tag put them off, in the closing stages of the transfer window the player made it abundantly clear in several interviews he wanted to depart for pastures new.

Eventually Celta Vigo got their man and Strand Larsen got his new footballing stage to perform on.

There’s a reason Strand Larsen was so coveted, he was integral to Groningen’s attacking play, offering an imposing option in the air and holding up the ball acting as a fulcrum of the team’s out-balls.

The impacts of Holland’s Total Football era are so profound that it still resonates with players who graduate from the Eredivisie today.

Dutch clubs are spoiled with talented Sensi for young footballers, broadening and blowing their minds in equal measure.

A typical ‘bigman’ striker is often more than meets the eye once their abilities are evolved in the technical ethos of Dutch football, giant Wout Wieghorst’s exploits against Argentina in Qatar is testament to that.

Great Touch For A Bigman

Over the years Peter Crouch and Tore André Flo have helped change perceptions of the skillful attributes of tall hotshots and in time Strand Larsen may well enhance the reputation of target men even further.

The young Norwegian naturally attracts comparisons to Haaland, and last month, Norway boss Stale Solbakken handed Jorgen Strand Larsen, in just his fourth cap, the task of replacing injured superstar Erling Haaland for their clash with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

An injury ravaged Norway side departed Dublin with a 2-1 win and although the youngster didn’t hit the net, the fact Solbakken started him will no doubt do wonders for Strand Larsen’s self-belief.

The Luiz Campos Seal Of Approval

Larsen will need plenty of self-belief, as he is yet to find the net for his new club in La Liga, from his 742 minutes of action he has no goals and two assists to show for his efforts.

Adjusting to a new league, language and culture can be trying for even the most adaptable footballer, in November he debuted in the Copa del Rey with a goal against a sixth division team CD Algar.

The scandic commanded a sizeable transfer fee, he is one of the most expensive signings in Celta Vigo’s history when many yearned for a Luiz Suárez or Borja Mayoral, the wily talent spotter Luiz Campos recommended the signing of Larsen instead.

Campos has been operating as an advisor to Celta Vigo for several months, remarkably such is his stature in the game he also works in the same capacity for French giants PSG.

The Portuguese’s cachet comes from an outstanding CV in scouting and recruitment with some of the biggest clubs in European football.

In France, his fingerprints were all over the rise of AS Monaco and Lille in recent times, his Midas touch in the transfer market and lack of media interactions, ensures he is shrouded in an air-of-mystery.

For Larsen to receive the transfer recommendation from one of football’s finest transfer minds is testament to his potential.

Campos has a phenomenal hit rate in player recruitment over many years, with Celta close to his heart, it seems only a matter of time before a new Norwegian striker announces himself in European football and repays Campos’s faith in him.

Keep an eye out for Larsen in the second half of the season, the World Cup break may have come at the ideal time for the misfiring hotshot.

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