Plymouth Argyle can forget all about Lorent Tolaj with Grimsby Town transfer | OneFootball

Plymouth will be in the market for a new striker after Lorent Tolaj joined Bristol City, and Grimsby Town's Jaze Kabia could be the ideal replacement.

Plymouth paid the price for a poor start to the previous season as they ultimately missed out on a play-off place that ended their promotion dream.

By failing to return to the Championship at the first attempt, Argyle were always going to be vulnerable to losing their star men this summer, and, sadly for the club, those fears have been realised, as Lorent Tolaj signed for Bristol City.

The striker scored 17 goals and registered eight assists in 29 games last season, so it was inevitable that Championship interest would emerge, and the Robins paid over £4m for Tolaj, just a year after Plymouth had signed him for £1.1m.

So, whilst it was a blow to lose the 24-year-old, it represented good business for the club, and it’s the sort of model they must look to replicate moving forward.

Plymouth must revisit interest in Grimsby’s Jaze Kabia as they seek new attacker

Crucially though, the funds brought in mean Cleverley and the recruitment team should be in a position to spend, and it’s clear that a replacement for Tolaj will be the priority.

And, one player who could make a big impact at Home Park is Grimsby’s Jaze Kabia.

It was claimed earlier this year that Argyle were monitoring the 25-year-old, who scored 19 goals in League Two to help the Mariners to a play-off place, but they were beaten by Salford City over two legs.

Therefore, the chance to move to a League One club will surely appeal to Kabia, who appears to have finally settled after bouncing around the lower leagues and in Scotland earlier in his career.

But, anyone who saw him play for Grimsby will recognise the talent he has, as Kabia is a constant threat with his pace, and he has developed so much in the last year or two with his finishing and composure in front of goal.

Jaze Kabia fits the profile of what Plymouth should want this summer

That makes Kabia the ideal fit for Plymouth, and this is a deal that has plenty of similarities to Tolaj in the sense that both players took time to find their feet in the EFL.

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Tolaj excelled during his time at Port Vale in League Two, and he handled the step up to the third tier with ease.

Whilst you don’t want to put too much pressure on Kabia, who is slightly older than the ex-Aldershot man, it would be no surprise if he followed a similar path.

Obviously, from Plymouth’s perspective, they would hope that Kabia can fulfil his Championship ambitions with the club, but if he didn’t, he could be another one that they make a big profit on further down the line.

Nevertheless, the priority for Plymouth always has to be what happens on the pitch, and Kabia could be the goalscorer that Cleverley will be demanding this summer.

With Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City dropping into League One, it’s going to be difficult for Argyle to win promotion, but they do have a good squad for this level.

Their form in the past few months was proof that they can get results on a consistent basis, but it's now about taking that next step, and ensuring they are ready to start fast when they host Stockport on the opening day.

The next piece that Cleverley needs is a prolific striker, and if they can bring Kabia in, he could be the man to score the goals to fire the club to promotion.