Plymouth Argyle striker Lorent Tolaj has been linked with potential interest from Celtic, although a January move appears highly unlikely.
Speculation has circulated online in recent days suggesting the Scottish champions have been monitoring Tolaj’s prolific start to life at Plymouth Argyle. However, any suggestion of an imminent transfer looks wide of the mark, with regulations and timing both working against a deal before the end of the window.
Tolaj joined Argyle from Port Vale last summer in a deal reported to be worth around £1 million, and his impact has been immediate. The 24-year-old has scored 15 goals in 25 appearances across all competitions this season, quickly establishing himself as one of League One’s most reliable finishers.
That form has inevitably drawn attention from elsewhere, with some reports even floating figures as high as £5 million. In reality, a winter move would make little sense for either side. Under FIFA regulations, a player cannot represent more than two clubs competitively in a single season, and Tolaj has already featured for both Vale and Argyle during the current campaign. Any third move would leave him unavailable for selection until the summer.
From Plymouth’s perspective, the timing is equally unappealing. Argyle currently sit 14th in League One, still within touching distance of the play-off picture but also aware of how quickly momentum can swing in such a congested division. Removing a striker who accounts for a significant share of their goals midway through the season would represent a major gamble, particularly with no guarantee of adequate replacement value in January.
Enigma out of the National League
Tolaj’s journey to this point has been far from straightforward. Born in Aigle, Switzerland, he came through the youth system at FC Sion before moving to Brighton & Hove Albion, where first-team opportunities proved limited. Loan spells at Cambridge United, Salford City and Dundee followed, none of which truly ignited his senior career.
It was his move into non-league football with Aldershot Town that proved transformative. Tolaj scored 25 goals in all competitions during the 2023–24 season, earning National League Player of the Month honours and re-establishing himself as a forward capable of leading the line. That form carried into his time at Port Vale, where he played a key role in their promotion from League Two, before Argyle activated a substantial release clause to bring him to Home Park.
While Celtic’s reported interest underlines how quickly Tolaj’s stock has risen, all signs point towards any serious transfer discussion being deferred until the summer. For now, Plymouth retain one of League One’s standout forwards, and Tolaj remains central to their ambitions for the remainder of the campaign.