Plymouth Argyle transfer genius deals Port Vale another blow | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle dealt Port Vale yet another transfer blow with the signing of Ronan Curtis in January, who has been a revelation at Home Park.

Plymouth Argyle have reaped the rewards of raiding Port Vale in the summer for Lorent Tolaj, and look like they've repeated the trick by signing Ronan Curtis from the Valiants in January.

The Pilgrims have enjoyed a strong start to the new calendar year, putting a difficult 2025 behind them, and winning six of their ten league games so far in 2026.

A huge part of this success has been the introduction of Curtis to the side, who arrived from Port Vale early in the January window, in what is proving to be a rather shrewd signing from Tom Cleverley and co.

Questions were raised about whether the 29-year-old would be an improvement to the side given he hadn't been a standout at Vale, but those were quickly vanquished after he chipped in with three assists on debut in a dramatic EFL Trophy victory over Bristol Rovers.

Now Curtis is over a month into life at Home Park, it's fair to say that his performances indicate that Plymouth have once again stolen a gem from right under Port Vale's nose, like they did with Tolaj in the summer.

Ronan Curtis has been a revelation at Plymouth Argyle

Curtis is a player who needs no introduction to EFL fans. The Irishman played well over 200 games for Portsmouth between 2018 and 2023, before an ACL injury curtailed his exceptional stint at Fratton Park.

Having found fitness at AFC Wimbledon after departing Pompey, Curtis then joined Port Vale in the summer of 2024, where he featured 73 times in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and chipping in with 12 assists, helping Darren Moore's side gain promotion to League One.

However, after Vale's return to the third tier, minutes were slightly harder to come by for the winger, which saw fellow League One side Plymouth swoop in and sign him in January 2026, in what was a rather surprising signing.

Supporters were left unsure what to think over the acquisition of Curtis, as he hadn't been a standout at Vale Park, and is approaching the twilight of his career.

Any doubts were quickly squashed though, when the wideman pulled on an Argyle for the first time. He made his debut in a 4-3 win over Bristol Rovers in the EFL Trophy, and set up three of Cleverley's side's goals that evening, which was a sign of what was to come.

Plymouth's form improved drastically following the arrival of Curtis. It was clear very early on that the experienced attacker fit Cleverley's system perfectly, and was exactly what the side was crying out for before the transfer window.

The sheer volume of excellent crosses into the box that Bim Pepple and Tolaj have had to feed off of, coupled with his brilliant set-piece deliveries and ability to track back out of possession have absolutely revolutionized the way Argyle play.

Curtis is not only finding good form with a goal and six assists in his first 10 outings across all competitions for the club, but he has helped bring out the best of those around him too, making him an exceptional acquisition by the Pilgrims.

Plymouth Argyle have got one over on Port Vale again with Curtis signing

Meanwhile at Port Vale, things are looking a lot less rosy than they currently do down south. The Valiants sit rock-bottom of League One, and looked pretty much nailed on for relegation, as they sit 10 points from safety with 15 games to go.

After Moore was sacked and replaced with Jon Brady, results have been somewhat better, but some Vale fans must surely be looking at Argyle with envy once again, as another one of their former players is excelling at Home Park.

Of course, after a long search for a number nine to replace Ryan Hardie in the summer, Plymouth landed on Tolaj, who was a Port Vale player at the time. The Swiss forward has since gone on to score 17 goals in 28 outings across all competitions thus far.

Fast-forward to the winter, the Pilgrims once again came knocking, but for one of the Staffordshire club's rotation players. Once again, we've seen similar results as we did with the signing of Tolaj, as Curtis has gone on to become a key player for the Greens.

Whilst the Tolaj deal pocketed Vale a hefty fee, the lack of investment in the playing squad has shown, and with their replacement, Devante Cole, already leaving the club, you can't help but feel the Valiants must somewhat regret selling the 24-year-old.

Now to rub salt in the wounds, Curtis, who hadn't had a huge impact in the first half of the season, has now joined Tolaj at Home Park, and also gone on to find form, which will have Vale fans pondering why he didn't hit the same levels for them this term.

As for Argyle, they'll be delighted with their latest Port Vale swoop, as Curtis has completely revolutionized the way Cleverley's side play, and has become a key creative outlet, as the team continue to pick up strong results.

It's fair to say that Plymouth have dealt their league rivals a double transfer blow this season, which will be hugely frustrating for Vale fans given their current predicament.