Exclusive: Plymouth Argyle expected to return for Notts County forward this summer | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie believes that Plymouth Argyle will return to Notts County in the summer for Alassana Jatta after missing out on him in January.

Summary

Plymouth Argyle were unsuccessful in their pursuit of Notts County forward Alassana Jatta in January but Lee Hendrie has tipped the Pilgrims to go again in the summer.

The Gambian forward has been prolific in League Two this season, catching the attention of clubs higher up the pyramid. One such club was the struggling Devon outfit, who were keen to sign the striker to bolster their survival hopes.

However, after a month of chasing the 26-year-old, Plymouth reportedly had a final bid worth around £750,000 knocked back by County for their star man in late January. The EFL’s oldest club were keen to keep hold of Jatta, as the goals he brings to the table are seen as irreplaceable mid-season. The Magpies were reportedly holding out for £1m, which Argyle wouldn't match.

That sent Plymouth back to the drawing board, and the Greens ended up not adding an out-and-out striker to their ranks. Despite the solid form of Ryan Hardie, the Scot has been too injury-prone as of late, which left Argyle short of options up top and no real reliable source of goals.

Despite this setback, pundit and Aston Villa legend Lee Hendrie exclusively revealed to Football League World that he believes Miron Muslic’s side will return to try and poach the forward from County’s grasp in the summer, even if the Pilgrims are relegated to League One.

Lee Hendrie issues honest Alassana Jatta, Plymouth Argyle verdict

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Hendrie gave his verdict on whether Plymouth will return to try and secure Jatta’s services in the summer.

The former midfielder said: “You look at Plymouth in that centre-forward area and that’s probably been their Achilles heel since the new man [Muslic] has come in charge because he’s got a real defensive structure and a good way about them.

“You feel that they had so many bids rejected by Notts County for Jatta, and I think that’s one area that they needed to strengthen.

“I do think they will go in again for him because they see him as one of the key assets to try and get to Plymouth Argyle. You do feel as well, particularly looking at their season, if they do get relegated there is a big possibility that they will go in again for him.

“I’m sure that they will put another bid in because it seems pretty evident that they want him at the football club, and he suits their criteria of where they are and what they want.”

Plymouth Argyle will hope to land Alassana Jatta in the summer

Despite the setbacks in the January transfer window, Argyle will hope they can get a deal over the line for the striker in the summer, regardless of their fate this campaign. It would always be tough to persuade Notts County into a sale in January, but a move in the summer seems much more likely to be successful.

The Plymouth and Jatta situation is somewhat similar to Richard Kone and Luton Town. Both prolific strikers were the subject of interest higher up the EFL in January, but bids were knocked back as both Wycombe Wanderers and the Magpies opted to keep their main goalscoring threats to help finish the season strongly.

As Hendrie alluded to, it seems unlikely that the story of Jatta and Plymouth is over just yet. The forward is too good for League Two and will be looking to take the next step in his career. If Notts County fail to secure promotion to League One, that could mean moving away from Meadow Lane.

There is a looming threat of relegation around HHome Park, but even if Plymouth do succumb to the drop, they’ll undoubtedly be challenging for promotion back to the Championship. If a prolific goalscorer like Jatta was added to the equation, there would be no real negatives for the Greens, regardless of what division they find themselves in next season.