Sheffield United backed to seal ‘big investment’ from Plymouth Argyle - but two concerns given | OneFootball

Jimmy from Blades Ramble has his say on the Lorent Tolaj transfer links

It seems like Sheffield United are already shifting their focus toward the summer transfer window.

Even though a trip to Pride Park awaits on Saturday to face playoff hopefuls Derby County, everyone connected with Blades will surely be glad there's only one game left of the 25/26 season.

Sitting in 15th, Chris Wilder has already promised Sheffield United supporters that their side will be in a better position next campaign, alongside claiming that the shirt is 'too heavy' for some to wear.

This clearly means a lot of ins and outs at Bramall Lane within the next few months, so interest in Plymouth Argyle's in-form striker Lorent Tolaj has surfaced at perhaps just the right time.

If you didn't already know, according to journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon, 24-year-old Tolaj is attracting attention from multiple clubs ahead of the summer window.

Sheffield United were named in the same transfer update as one of those interested teams, alongside Preston North End and Leicester City.

Jimmy from Blades Ramble, FLW's Fan Pundit for the South Yorkshire club, has given his verdict on the growing links between United and Lorent Tolaj.

He said, "Yeah, I like Lorent Tolaj. I think he’s a good player at the level, obviously it’s a big step up from League One to Championship."

The Switzerland-born forward joined Argyle from Port Vale for a reported £1.2m last August and has really shone in League One this term, scoring 20 goals across all competitions so far.

Jimmy was quick to add a fairly recent Blades example as to why the transfer might not work out, but overall he seemed positive enough that Tolaj could make the step-up, saying, "We’ve seen several players, some make the cut, some don’t.

"Louie Barry would be an example for me that didn’t quite make it at Sheffield United after ripping up League One, but yeah, I like the look of Tolaj. Physical, good striker at the level," the Fan Pundit added.

Yes, injuries played a massive part, but Barry struggled to make any impact for Blades when he was on loan. During the first half of the 24/25 season, the then-21-year-old had scored 15 League One goals for Stockport County.

Still, there are two bigger concerns cited by Jimmy as to why a potential Sheffield United transfer for Tolaj in the summer might not happen.

The two Sheffield United concerns regarding a transfer for Lorent Tolaj

While Jimmy acknowledges Tolaj's impressive attributes as a striker, he then details two concerns which may become major hurdles for any potential Blades deal.

"I do like him, but we’re not going to have a lot of money to play with this summer and Patrick Bamford is our leading striker," Jimmy told FLW.

He added, "So, if he’s gonna be happy to either be a backup to Bamford - Wilder may pair them together - but I don’t think he’d be first-choice at Sheffield United at the moment."

Of Sheffield United's current striker options, there's no denying that Bamford is anything but first-choice. With 12 league goals, the ex-Leeds United favourite has six more Championship strikes than Tyrese Campbell and seven more than Tom Cannon, who have six and five respectively.

Considering the 18-month contract Bamford signed to remain at the club in January, you'd expect next season's attack to be built around him.

Jimmy also expanded on why United might not even be able to afford Tolaj, concluding with, "It’d be a big investment, and it might depend on whether we can get Tyrese Campbell and/or Tom Cannon out of the club.

"I’d definitely like him, I think he’s an upgrade on the strikers below Bamford that we’ve already got, but it remains to be seen whether we can get a deal done."

Clearly, the thinking from Jimmy is that Tolaj could be a good addition to Wilder's squad, but only if the pieces align this summer, as a repeat of last year's £19m spend is not going to happen.