Tom Cleverley reveals Plymouth Argyle's 'big money' Lorent Tolaj stance as Norwich City and Stoke circle | OneFootball

Tom Cleverley has revealed what it will take to lure Lorent Tolaj away from Plymouth this summer

Plymouth Argyle returned to winning ways in League One with a victory away to AFC Wimbledon, pushing the Pilgrims within touching distance of the play-offs with just three games to go.

It's been a turbulent year in Devon, and, at one point, it looked like it could be a disastrous one.

Tom Cleverley was appointed over the summer following the surprise departure of Bosnian boss Miron Muslic, with the former Watford boss initially struggling to get to grips with life at Home Park.

A worrying run of form saw Plymouth linger towards the foot of the table for the first few months of the season, with Cleverley's job coming into question. However, the club's board decided to stick with the former Manchester United and England midfielder, and have been duly rewarded for their belief.

Now, promotion back to the Championship via the play-offs looks to be a real possibility, and that wouldn't have been possible without Swiss forward Lorent Tolaj, who was signed for £1.2 million in the summer after his release clause at Port Vale was triggered, as Cleverley recently revealed the club's stance on the striker.

Tom Cleverley has revealed the one condition that could see Lorent Tolaj depart Plymouth this summer with Championship clubs lurking

Since joining Plymouth this summer, Tolaj has been one of League One's most outstanding forwards, trailing only Dominic Ballard, Kyle Wootton, and Jayden Wareham in the goalscoring charts.

His 16 goals and five assists in 26 league games for the Pilgrims have seen him average well over a goal contribution every other game, with it therefore being unsurprising to see him linked with a switch to the second tier.

According to Belgian publication Voetbal Primeur, Anderlecht are one of several clubs chasing Tolaj this summer, with the likes of Norwich City, Stoke City, and Swansea City all credited with interest in the 24-year-old.

Tolaj has now scored three games on the spin since returning from injury, with his expertly improvised finish against AFC Wimbledon helping the Pilgrims to a crucial three points.

Following the victory, Cleverley has revealed Plymouth's transfer stance on Tolaj, saying: "What is separating Tolly from a lot of people at this level is those moments. If you have got a player in your ranks that can turn a draw into a win, yeah, people will have to pay a lot of money for him.

"His mentality is completely focused, tunnel vision to score as many goals and help this team whichever way he can.

"His mentality is becoming more focused. Our job as coaches for Tolaj is to try and refine and polish strengths, there is no weakness to his game.

"I have played with a couple in my career that are special, when you think 'This game has got draw written all over it' - which I don't really think today - but there is a moment and your number nine can get three points. People are going to have to pay a lot of money for him.

"There are so many parts of Tolly's game that I can sit and talk about, and his work for the team, but they are the moments that separate.

"The ones who can finish like he does and make the real difference, and win you 15 points a season, are the ones that are gold dust."

It's about as glowing a reference as you can get from your manager, as Cleverley has clearly indicated that it will take a big bid from whoever comes in for him this summer to lure him away from Devon.

Tom Cleverley will be confident of retaining Lorent Tolaj's services at Plymouth amid Championship interest

Heading into the summer, Plymouth face an undoubtedly tough task of retaining the services of Tolaj, but Cleverley will be remaining confident nevertheless.

Certainly, their chances of keeping him around increase tenfold if they can secure promotion back to the Championship, but should a return to the second tier elude them, Cleverley will likely feel they stand a good chance of keeping him around anyway.

Under contract until the summer of 2029, with Cleverley having previously revealed his contract does not contain a release clause, Plymouth are firmly in the driving seat when it comes to negotiations for Tolaj.

Unless a substantial bid comes their way this summer, Tolaj will remain a Plymouth player. Though with clubs in the Championship and across Europe ramping up interest in the Swiss striker, it remains to be seen whether he will be sticking around in Devon next year, in any case.