MIDDLESBROUGH target Jorgen Strand Larsen has become frustrated at Groningen's stance to keep the player and retains hope that the club will sell him before the end of the transfer window.

Boro have submitted a bid for the 22-year-old Norwegian frontman, who got this season underway in Eredivisie with a goal in a 2-2 draw against FC Volendam at the weekend, but were quickly rebuffed in their advances as were Italian side Bologna. 

The club's Sporting Director Mark-Jan Fleddurus publicly admitting they had no desire to sell and wanted to offer a new contract to persuade him to stay. 

His existing deal runs until the summer of 2024 but the indications from Larsen is that he doesn't want to sign a new extension and wants to progress his career elsewhere. 

In an interview with Eurosport Norge, he says: "The club does not want to sell me. It is tough and heavy. I don't want to make a fuss about pushing through a transfer, but I was hoping they could have sold me by now. Football is fresh and many clubs are interested. 

"It is frustrating that they are holding on to me and that they are not helpful in this situation. And the club has heard from me that I am disappointed with them.

"It is frustrating that the club will ask for so much money for me. In a normal setting, they would have accepted the offer from Middlesbrough, but the club does not need money. Then, unfortunately, it becomes something you can't do much about. 

"I have realised that our sports director is not so easy to deal with. We will see what happens in the next few weeks, before the transfer window closes."

Out of the options Larsen has, the answers in his recent interview suggest he may well be leaning towards a move to Teesside with the chance to play football in England becoming a tantalising prospect for the promising striker, who scored 14 goals last season. 

He continued: "Middlesbrough will fight at the top of the Championship and seem very interested in me. In addition, English football is exciting, with everything that goes with it. Had the club accepted an offer from them, I could quickly go there."

However, he is keeping his options open with the chance to play against the likes of AC Milan and Juventus also becoming appealing. 

"Then there is Bologna, who are in Serie A" he said. "It is a top-five league where you meet a lot of good teams. It doesn't matter which club, because both are tempting and exciting. There would have been nice opportunities to show off, but Groningen don't want to sell."

Reports suggest that Boro have offered around £8 million for the striker with the Dutch club valuing him at around £12 million. With Boro urgently trying to push transfers through in the next couple of weeks, they are prepared to move on from the deal should Groningen's stance remain.

However, Larsen's recent public comments may well force the hand of the Dutch club to move him. This could be to avoid the risk of keeping a player that doesn't want to be at the club or running his contract to it's conclusion and subsequently receiving nothing for the player. 

Whilst he is being denied the chance to speak with other clubs, the 22-year-old seems to be unhappy with the way Groningen are outpricing Boro and Bologna. Boro, who have recently received a cash injection following the sales of Djed Spence and Marcus Tavernier, have offered a larger sum than the Italian side but have not made a breakthrough in a deal. 

Larsen added: "They are taking away from me an opportunity to move on. The club did not deliver well enough last year and see me as an important player this year. They push the price up as far as they can until it becomes completely ridiculous. 

"It's boring and frustrating when they sweep away several clubs. I feel like I'm fighting a battle against a wall."