Wycombe Wanderers are keen on adding a striker to their ranks this summer having struggled for a consistent outlet of goals, and Sparta Rotterdam’s Tobias Lauritsen could be that man.
The Chairboys will have one of their ESC slots available to them when Anders Hagelskjaer becomes a GBE player, freeing up space for another player to arrive who hasn’t played in English football, or have English ties.
It’s clear the profile of striker Wycombe are looking for. Tall, strong, good at holding up the ball and linking up play, whilst also having an eye for goal, which is something they lack with their current options.
Of course, finding a player with all of these qualities in League One will be a tough ask, particularly in January when teams are reluctant to allow their players to leave, due to the risk of a departure derailing their season.
However, Sparta Rotterdam have a conundrum on their hands, as Lauritsen’s contract is running down, and if he doesn’t want to sign a new deal, they could well lose him for free in the summer, meaning January this their last chance to cash in.
The 28-year-old arrived at his current club from Eliteserien outfit Odd in 2022, and has since gone on to become a key player for the Dutch side, scoring 46 times and providing 18 assists in 124 appearances across all competitions.
This earned him potential suitors elsewhere last summer, most interestingly from city rivals Feyenoord, who Wycombe signed Mikki Van Sas from earlier this season. However, a bid never materialised, and Lauritsen remained at Sparta.
Since then, the Norwegian forward has gone on to become a prolific talisman in the Dutch first division, scoring seven goals and assisting one in his first 16 outings this season.
Before that, Lauritsen has hit double figures for goals in all three of his previous Eredivisie seasons, earning him the reputation as a reliable goalscorer, which is certainly what Wanderers will be looking for this January.
As for his playing style, the striker is a dominant physical powerhouse, who thrives on winning aerial duels, and taking down the ball from long balls forward, and progressing play. This would fit Michael Duff’s style of play to a T, especially with quick wingers such as Sam Bell and Fred Onyedinma on either side of him, and a more agile player such as Jamie Mullins or Alex Lowry in the ten.
Standing at 6’3, Laurtisen has got the build to thrive in the EFL, and with an excellent jumping reach, he would likely be able to easily beat defenders in the air, which is something other options such as Bradley Fink have struggled to do.
Duff previously singled out Fink for failing to get into enough goalscoring positions, which is a harsh assessment given the service he was given in his first start against Plymouth Argyle, but that wouldn’t be an issue with Lauritsen.
The 28-year-old is known to be somewhat of a fox in the box, gobbling up opportunities that are provided to him by his supporting cast up front. Again with Bell and Onyedinma alongside him who are excellent at creating opportunities from wide areas, having Lauritsen in the middle to get into the positions to finish those chances with his head or feet will be integral in helping Wycombe solve their goalscoring woes.
The experience Lauritsen comes with too will be a bonus, as he’s currently at the peak of his career, and has plenty of years left at his best, whilst also acting as an excellent mentor for the young Fink to learn from, in the hopes he can pass down the baton in the future.
As for transfer fees, he would likely smash the record previous set by Magnus Westergaard last January (£800k). The striker is valued at £2m according to FOTMOB, but the Chairboys could look to get him for less, with his contract expiring in less than six months.
Of course, this is a lot in the context of Wycombe, but this is exactly the type of money that Wanderers will need to be spending if they wish to turn their season around, and find themselves a medium to long-term replacement for Richard Kone.
