Preston join Celtic and Derby County in race to sign Plymouth Argyle star | OneFootball

The Lilywhites are showing interest in Plymouth Argyle frontman Lorent Tolaj.

Preston North End will be putting preparations in place ahead of a 12th straight season in the Championship.

The Lilywhites will be hopeful of pushing for the play-offs next season under Paul Heckingbottom after a disappointing 14th-placed finish last term, which saw the Lancashire outfit win just two of their last seven league matches.

With the summer transfer window opening this week, it’s an opportunity for Preston to bolster key areas of their squad so they can be challenging towards the upper ends of the second tier standings, with the club unable to break into the play-offs throughout their latest long stint in the Championship.

To help break the slump, the addition of a top-class centre forward could be so crucial, and Preston seem to be in the market for fresh blood at the top end of the pitch to transform their fortunes.

A report by the Lancashire Post has outlined that Preston’s target is Plymouth Argyle forward Lorent Tolaj, who is understood to have admirers like Celtic, Derby County and Millwall following a stellar last season in League One with the Pilgrims.

However, any move will be dependent on an exit transpiring at Deepdale, with Preston looking to move as early as possible to add firepower to their ranks.

As per a report by Lancashire Post journalist George Hodgson, Preston North End have placed Plymouth Argyle striker Lorent Tolaj high on their transfer shortlist and are keen to make a move for the 24-year-old this summer.

Tolaj has been electric in a Plymouth shirt since making the move to League One last summer, providing 26 goal contributions in 33 games for the Pilgrims, with 18 goals and eight assists coming in the third tier, while his four goals also helped bag the Devonshire outfit the EFL Trophy.

It is believed Preston will entertain a pursuit should Milutin Osmajic depart Deepdale, and that could well be a possibility given he enters the final 12 months of his contract.

According to the report, Tolaj is set to be available for around £3m, although Plymouth are desperate to keep hold of their Swiss frontman as they seek a return to the Championship themselves as quickly as possible.

However, a step-up to the Championship will be difficult to keep Tolaj away from, particularly when he feels he’s deserving of the opportunity given his goalscoring exploits at Home Park.

Lorent Tolaj could thrive on Championship stage

Lorent Tolaj was one of the standout forwards in League One last season, and was such a key figure to the Pilgrims’ revival under Tom Cleverley, which saw them come mightily close to squeaking into the play-off picture.

The Swiss striker rounded off the League One term in style by providing four goals and four assists in his last six outings, so he’s proven he’s a striker that can both score and create opportunities in abundance, ticking the boxes for multiple Championship sides.

Such a late purple patch, matched with his overall consistency over the season, has proven he is a Championship player in waiting, and he has fully deserved his chance to put his name in lights on the second tier stage.

A move to a club like Preston could be a sensible one for Tolaj, who would be given assurances over playing time should Osmajic leave, and would be playing for a team who has built themselves around being a solid mid-table second tier outfit.

But if Tolaj could hit the ground running and supply enough ammunition, it could be what sees Preston get themselves into play-off contention, with the chance of doing so increasing now that the top eight will have a shot of Premier League glory from next season onwards.

There’s no doubt signing someone like Tolaj who has no prior Championship pedigree is a risk, but he’s a forward who possesses a natural eye for goal and will be hungry to succeed in the next step of his career.

He certainly has bags of ability and potential, so Preston should be aiming to wrap up a deal quickly if they want to be looking towards the top end of the division.