Leeds United will have to exercise patience over a January transfer that could go right to the wire this weekend.

The Whites have made no secret of their admiration of Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen and though news of their official bid leaked elsewhere, there was no attempt to deny it at Elland Road. Wolves knocked back that bid, but it did not send Leeds fleeing from the negotiating table. They remain very keen on a deal. But what club sources have maintained all along is that this potential transfer is a difficult one to do because of the Profitability and Sustainability position. There is little to no possibility of Leeds going above and beyond what they deem a sensible valuation and any deal must be structured in such a way that it keeps them within PSR boundaries.

Strand Larsen is a player with a number of suitors, including Crystal Palace. As the window has developed it has become clear that Palace's interest is at least partly driven by necessity. Jean-Philippe Mateta is wanted by Nottingham Forest, who have placed a £35m bid. Should Palace strike a deal with Forest it will indicate that they have found what they believe to be a suitable replacement and Strand Larsen is a prime candidate. What's more, the money from a Mateta deal would make them a cash rich buyer, able to offer more or even just more up front than Leeds.

The Mateta situation is regarded as the key domino that needs to fall before Wolves make what would then be a fully-informed decision on Strand Larsen. It makes no sense for Molineux chiefs to green light a transfer until all the players have put their best and final cards on the table. So the expectation is that this transfer situation goes into the weekend, towards Monday's 7pm deadline.

What has also emerged in terms of 49ers Enterprises' thinking is that they see the Norwegian striker and a possible January move as a 'market possibility' thrown up by Wolves' almost certain relegation to the Championship and a desire to cash in on a player whose value will likely decrease at the end of the summer. He is regarded as a long-term bit of business, with the right profile and at the right age, and not simply a forward who can fill a squad vacancy in the here and now to help them to stay up.

What supporters can take from that is that if Strand Larsen cannot be acquired, Leeds consider it unlikely at this stage to pick up a different target. Daniel Farke has been clear in his public utterances that he believes Leeds should be picky, especially in January, and that view is shared by transfer chiefs. With Facundo Buonanotte signed on loan from Brighton they ticked the empty box from last summer, giving Farke the right wing/10 blend he wanted. And as the YEP reported from the outset of the window, 49ers hoped to add one or two this month but equally acknowledged a squad that has proven competitive in the top flight might remain as it was.

The potential consequences of exiting the window without adding a centre forward are obvious, however. Staking survival on the fitness of Dominic Calvert-Lewin has worked out better than anyone at Elland Road could have predicted, so far, but there is plenty of action left to be played and keeping the number 9 fit and available for the duration will be key.

Leeds, as Farke said in a recent press conference, have been on the lookout for possibilities at full-back but will only act if a suitable candidate and a viable deal becomes available in the final days of the window.

In terms of outgoings, Joel Piroe has been the most sought after Leeds player in the January window. Ipswich Town are among those to have made enquiries but the situation is unchanged. As the YEP reported earlier this month, the Dutchman wants to stay and fight for a place in Farke's team to prove himself as a Premier League player and his club is not minded to push him out the door.

Piroe was not the only squad member attracting January interest. Leeds were made aware of interest from the Bundesliga in centre-back Sebastiaan Bornauw. The Belgian only joined the Whites in the summer but the YEP understands Mainz were among those keen to take him back to Germany, but Leeds shut down any suggestion of him leaving due to his importance to Farke's squad. The 26-year-old had an injury-hit start to life in English football but has started three of the last five games during Jaka Bijol's injury absence.