Plymouth Argyle hit gold - Bim People's form helps forget January | OneFootball

Bim Pepple's emergence at Plymouth Argyle shows the Pilgrims hit gold with their raid of Luton Town in the summer.

Many Plymouth Argyle supporters wanted another striker to be signed in January to partner Lorent Tolaj.

The Pilgrims were dealt a huge blow in January when talisman Tolaj was ruled out for a couple of weeks with a dead leg, which kept him out of action until early February.

Many Argyle supporters expected the club to address this with the acquisition of a new striker in the January transfer window, who could provide cover for Tolaj, and act as a partner for the 24-year-old once he returned.

However, when the time came for a member of the current squad to snatch the spotlight whilst Plymouth's top scorer was out, summer signing Bim Pepple announced himself as the man for the job.

The Canadian has scored five goals in 10 outings across all competitions in 2026 so far, and his exceptional form has proven that Tom Cleverley and his recruitment staff made the correct choice in not signing a new attacker in January.

Bim Pepple finding new lease of life at Plymouth Argyle after slow start

It's fair to say that when Pepple arrived at Home Park in the summer from Luton Town, he wasn't expected to be one of the first names on Cleverley's team sheet every week, given his lack of experience in the third tier.

The 23-year-old was signed as somewhat of a project player, having impressed on loan at Chesterfield and Southend United, with Argyle hoping that they could work with him and develop him into a key player in their preferred system.

His first few months in Green were tough, as Pepple found himself struggling to adapt to life in League One, whilst Plymouth were badly out of form, and really lacked an identity following a summer of wholesale change at the club.

The goals and minutes were few and far between for the Canadian, with Tolaj cementing his spot as the starting striker, whilst Owen Oseni looked to be the more handy of the two backup options at the time.

However, fortunes would change for Pepple at the end of 2025. A suspension for Tolaj and injury to Oseni saw him get 70 minutes in a game against Wycombe Wanderers, in which he netted a 94th minute equaliser to earn his side a crucial point.

This earned the 23-year-old earn himself a run of games in the side, where he continued his improved performances with goals in back-to-back games against Bristol Rovers and Peterborough United.

After Tolaj sustained a dead leg in late January, many supporters expected Plymouth to bring in another striker, but Cleverley's side opted not to, as they felt they had the solution to their problem right under their nose.

As it turns out, they did. Pepple led the line as the main striker in Tolaj's absence, with Caleb Watts playing off him. This really showed the Argyle attacker's development, as he played a crucial part in piecing attacks together with his goals and hold-up play.

The increase in Pepple's confidence is evident too. His wonderful strike against Lincoln City showed a man at the top of his game, and his importance to the team now can't be understated, as the game against the Imps totally changed following his withdrawal with an eye injury.

After biding his time and working extremely hard, the former Luton man has announced himself as a key player for Plymouth, and it's fair to say there's a real buzz around his new-found form.

Argyle needed to strengthen in January, and whilst other positions were a priority, some supporters expected a new striker to be signed to partner Tolaj, as they weren't convinced by their other options already at the club.

With rumours circulating over Ryan Hardie's future at Wrexham, there were always going to be rumblings of his return to Home Park in the winter, but this ultimately never came to fruition.

Following the emergence of Pepple, it seems like a good thing that it didn't. The Canadian has taken his opportunity at the perfect time by sending out a statement to Cleverley that he's his man, and he doesn't need to look elsewhere.

Pepple has truly been a revelation at Argyle in 2026. He's gone from a player who looked slightly out of his depth at League One level, to a confident and powerful forward, who is not only chipping in with important goals, but helping link the whole attack together. His hold-up play has come on leaps and bounds in the last few months, and his ability to use his body to his advantage makes him a real handful for defenders. Couple that with his new-found confidence, and you can see exactly why he's absolutely thriving.

Pepple is the ideal partner for Tolaj now he's returned from injury, and also compliments a more nimble player like Watts very well with his physicality.

With three goals in his last three games, the excitement around the 23-year-old is palpable. He's become a hugely popular figure amongst the Green Army, who firmly believe he can continue to develop into an even better player than he is now.

With that in mind, it looks like Plymouth made the right decision by sticking with what they've already got rather than recruiting a new striker in January, which allowed Pepple to take centre stage, and announce himself as the ideal partner for Tolaj.