New Portsmouth transfer update should put Plymouth Argyle on Colby Bishop alert | OneFootball

Portsmouth recently made a seven-figure signing, which should alert Plymouth, as they look to find their Lorent Tolaj replacement this summer.

Plymouth Argyle will be looking to win promotion back into the Championship at the second attempt under Tom Cleverley's management this season.

Argyle struggled to build momentum in the first-half of the 2025/26 season, but looked like a team transformed for all the right reasons after the turn of the New Year.

They finished eighth in the third-tier standings last season, and just two points adrift of the play-off places, which will be tough to take after such a strong run of form in the second-half of the 2025/26 campaign.

Plymouth's top-six ambitions were hit with a blow recently, with Lorent Tolaj completing a move to Championship side, Bristol City for an undisclosed fee.

Tolaj scored 21 goals in 35 appearances for Plymouth last season, and will leave a sizeable void in their starting XI. It's vital that Plymouth find a suitable replacement for the Swiss-born forward in the near future if they're to stand a chance of challenging for promotion.

Plymouth should target move for Championship forward

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Plymouth will be looking to find Tolaj's replacement at the earliest of opportunities this summer, especially with the 2026/27 League One campaign getting underway in under a month's time.

One player that could potentially be tempted by a move to Home Park is Portsmouth's Colby Bishop. The forward has been with Pompey since 2022, and has had many memorable moments in front of the Fratton Park faithful.

The 29-year-old was previously on the books with Accrington Stanley, where he caught the eye for all the right reasons, which earned him a move to Portsmouth whilst they were in League One.

Bishop had hit double figures in each of his three seasons in the third-tier with Accrington Stanley, and there were hopes that he could kick on and fire Portsmouth back into the Championship.

He did just that, as he scored 24 goals in all competitions for Pompey in his first season, as they finished eighth in the table. Bishop then followed that up with 21 goals in 44 league appearances for Portsmouth in the 2023/24 campaign, as they won promotion into the second-tier, finishing top of the table in League One.

The Nottingham-born striker finished as the club's top goalscorer in their first season back in the Championship, and was a regular in their team last term, as they came 18th in the table.

Bishop's game time could be restricted this season

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There's no doubting that Bishop will be keen to retain his place leading the line for Portsmouth moving forward, but they club have recently confirmed the signing of Marko Milovanovic for a fee believed to be in the region of £3m, which could see Bishop's minutes restricted.

Portsmouth tend to operate with one striker, and it would be a real surprise if they were to have Milovanovic occupying a spot on the substitutes bench, especially when they've spent a sizeable fee on him.

Therefore, Bishop could potentially look at options elsewhere, and Plymouth should certainly be one of the clubs that look at adding him to their squad, as he's a player that has proven quality in League One.

Argyle endured a frustrating season on the whole last term, as they missed out on a top-six finish, which was largely down to a disappointing start to the 2025/26 campaign, which cose them a place in the play-offs.

Lorent Tolaj was a real bright spark for Tom Cleverley's side last term, and he'll leave a sizeable void for them in attack, and so it's vital that Plymouth find an adequate replacement at the earliest of opportunities.

Bishop certainly fits that description, and with his regular game time taking a hit heading into the new Championship campaign, a move to Plymouth would make sense for all parties involved.

Plymouth are set to get their 2026/27 League One campaign underway against last season's beaten play-off finalists, Stockport County, in what is certain to be a tough test for Tom Cleverley's side.