"My gut feeling" - Plymouth Argyle transfer message sent to Wrexham & Preston North End | OneFootball

Preston North End and Wrexham have been warned off making a move for Plymouth Argyle striker Bim Pepple.

Plymouth Argyle are expected to challenge for promotion in League One this season and Championship clubs Wrexham and Preston North End have been warned off trying to sign the Pilgrims’ star striker, Bim Pepple.

Plymouth narrowly missed out on the top six and the play-off places in the third-tier last season, but they performed well in the second half of the campaign under the management of Tom Cleverley.

Key to their improvement was the form of former Luton Town striker Bim Pepple, who struck 16 goals by the end of the season after what had been a slow start in the first half of the campaign, only two short of eventual top scorer Lorent Tolaj, who has since departed for Bristol City.

After a slow start to this season with just one point collected from games against Stockport County and Wycombe Wanderers, following a 2-0 defeat of arch-rivals Exeter City in the first round of the EFL Cup, Plymouth will surely be keen on ensuring Pepple does now depart Home Park this summer.

However, the striker is reportedly the subject of interest from Championship clubs Preston North End and Wrexham – and that will be something of a concern for Plymouth supporters with around a week to go in this summer’s transfer window.

Having taken his time to get going at Plymouth last season, FLW’s Plymouth Fan Pundit Luke Hodge believes the step-up to the Championship could be something that is currently beyond the 23-year-old striker for the time being.

As well as that, Luke also suggests that the price for Pepple may well be higher than what it was earlier this summer, and he believes that the Kettering-born striker will stay put in Devon.

Luke told FLW: “My gut feeling is that he stays.

“I would be surprised if Wrexham or Preston North End come in for him.

“I know he had an amazing second part of the season last year with us, 16 goals in 20-odd appearances – nothing to be sniffed at.

“But, he’s quite raw, and I do believe another season in League One would do him good with us.

“I have just got my doubts with him playing Championship football right now. If he doesn’t hit the ground running in the Championship football, then he could quite easily go into his shell a little bit.

“At the end of the day, if the money is there and teams want him, and they give him a good offer, then I’m sure he would leave.

“I think he’s happy at Argyle and, with a week left of the window, gut feeling is that he stays.

“Also, I do believe that he did have a release clause which has apparently expired now and so that makes a big difference as well.

“I think if clubs were really interested in Bim Pepple then they probably would have triggered the release clause, rather than wait a few weeks afterwards and probably have to pay more money.

“Let’s just wait and see what happens, but my gut feeling is that he stays.”

Last summer saw Plymouth’s squad undergo major surgery, as well as an unplanned change in the dugout, with Miron Muslic leaving for German giants Miron Muslic, whom he led to 2. Bundesliga promotion last season.

This summer has seen less change, but still the £4 million sale of Lorent Tolaj to Bristol City has headlined their overall business, rather than a complete focus on incoming talent.

Tolaj’s departure has allowed Bim Pepple to assert himself as the out-and-out talisman at the top end of the pitch for Argyle and their promotion hopes could well be pinned on him as the season goes on.

Having joined Luton in 2022 but left The Hatters without playing a game for them last summer, following loan spells at Grimsby Town, Bromley, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Southend United and Chesterfield, Pepple has found a home at Home Park – and it would perhaps also be in his best interests to continue to develop and mould his game down in Devon.

That struggle to settle was a theme that did follow him initially to Plymouth last year, as he scored just one goal in his first 13 appearances in League One before going on to notch 15 in his next 22.

He has already found the net this season, scoring against Exeter, and continuing his development with stability would surely be the priority for himself and the best case scenario for his club, too.