Exclusive: Don Goodman reacts to big Plymouth Argyle transfer update - "It's a gamble" | OneFootball

The striker has moved to Home Park for a seven-figure fee

Don Goodman believes that Lorent Tolaj will help aid an upturn in fortunes at Plymouth Argyle following his seven-figure switch across League One from newly-promoted Port Vale.

The Greens and Valiants found themselves two divisions apart last season, yet have both struggled for form and consistency in the opening five encounters of the third-tier campaign, although much greater expectations were placed on the Devon outfit following their relegation from the Championship and subsequent appointment of Tom Cleverley.

Argyle got off the mark in terms of points and wins last time out at Home Park with a 1-0 success over Blackpool, with Tolaj making his bow in front of the Green Army following the triggering of a £1.2m release clause inserted into his Vale contract, signing a four-year deal with the club in the process.

With the club adding the former Switzerland youth international to an attacking department already boasting the likes of Owen Oseni, Bim Pepple and Jamie Paterson, Goodman believes that Plymouth have got themselves an impressive deal as they look to recover from their sluggish start to the campaign and mount a promotion bid in the remaining 40 encounters.

Don Goodman issues Lorent Tolaj verdict after Plymouth Argyle strike £1.2m, Port Vale agreement

Tolaj's upward trajectory in the past year or so has been quite remarkable, with the forward netting 21 times and posting a further 13 assists in just 48 appearances for Aldershot Town of the National League, with such outstanding form paving the way for his EFL breakthrough.

The 23-year-old made an immediate impression in North Staffordshire under Darren Moore, with his 14-goal haul instrumental in the Valiants' first-time promotion out of League Two, earning him his latest move after netting his final goal for Vale and his first at third-tier level in their 2-1 home defeat to Stevenage.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Goodman questioned whether the aforementioned fee can represent a coup given Plymouth's spending power in order to finalise the move in comparison to several divisional counterparts, but he is excited to see how Tolaj can perform in a side expected to be in and around the promotion picture come May.

"I think £1.2m to bring a striker to League One club, I'm not sure you could ever say that is a coup," Goodman stated. "It's a lot of money. It's a gamble, but a calculated risk.

"One of my colleagues at Sky Sports is a massive Port Vale fan, and he was nearly in tears when the news filtered through that their star striker was leaving for Plymouth Argyle.

"It's a brilliant journey," the pundit added. "He's proven it in the National League at Aldershot Town, and then he's moved up to Port Vale where last season, he had a fantastic season.

"Based on a small sample size of me actually seeing him, I suspect he'll do pretty well at Plymouth Argyle, actually, and certainly help them improve the poor start that they've made to life in League One so far."

Plymouth Argyle supporters have reason to be excited by Lorent Tolaj's potential prospects at Home Park

Given his recent rise, supporters will be pinning their hopes on Tolaj to accumulate a respectable goal return in his first season after managing to do the same at his former employers, which is one of the main reasons Cleverley discussed once the aforementioned deal was finalised.

“Lorent is someone who has had a monumental rise up the footballing pyramid and we are thrilled that he has chosen Argyle as the next step on that journey," he said.

“Wherever he has been he has shown he is a proven goal scorer, with an incredible record at every club and we are confident he will translate that to an Argyle shirt."

The lengthy contract put on the table for Tolaj also showcases that Argyle clearly believe they are buying his future potential as well as current ability, with many believing that he has the attributes and work rate to succeed at higher levels such as the Championship, and in turn, be the next in line to make the club a significant profit.