Lorent Tolaj’s meteoric journey from non-league bagman to one of the Championship’s marquee signings is nothing short of spectacular.

The Swissman has risen through the ranks of football in recent years, scoring 19 goals and assisting 11 in his only National League campaign with Aldershot in 2023/24. Then he joined Port Vale, where he scored 14 goals and assisted eight others on his way to League Two promotion last season.

Despite organically moving to the third division this season with the Valiants, recently relegated Championship club Plymouth Argyle spent £1.2 million to make Tolaj one of their key signings in the summer, and he’s brought his goal-scoring ability with him to Devon.

The Pilgrims have rocketed up the third-tier table in 2026, and they still have a slim chance of making the play-offs at the end of the season, but regardless of how the rest of the season plays out, Tolaj will undoubtedly be in line for another self-promotion into the Championship, or even to a top-flight club outside of England.

Indeed, Anderlecht of the Belgian Pro League and Copenhagen of the Danish Superliga are rumored to be interested in the 24-year-old, as are Championship clubs Stoke City, Norwich City, and Swansea City.

Unfortunately, it appears like Argyle will be unable to prevent Tolaj from leaving this summer, so FLW’s Plymouth fan analyst, Luke Hodge, is simply hoping that his club can maximise the profit they can get from him.

Plymouth Argyle fan hopes Pilgrims don’t “undersell” Lorent Tolaj.

When asked if he expected Tolaj to leave Home Park this summer, Hodge stated that it felt inevitable.I mentioned it at the beginning of the season, after only watching him in a few games. It was clear that he was a high-caliber talent on the rise. He has scored goals in the National League at Aldershot,

Port Vale, and now with us.He’s only 24 and is more than just a goal scorer. “He works hard, strives for success, and is ambitious.”So there was never any doubt that other clubs would be interested in him, not just Championship clubs, but also European clubs. To put it simply, he is too excellent for Argyle while we are in League One.”

Plymouth is more likely to miss out on the play-offs this season, but even if Argyle does make it and wins at Wembley, Hodge doubts Tolaj will stay at Home Park if they are relegated.

It is generally known that Argyle has faced financial difficulties in the year after its relegation from the Championship, with owner Simon Hallett lending the club £9.8 million during that period.

Plymouth has no release clause in Tolaj’s contract and three years remaining on his present agreement, allowing them to make a significant profit if he leaves. Hodge hopes the club does not sell him for less than his worth.”Even if we were promoted to the Championship, he’d probably leave,” he said.Our finances are not in the best situation at the moment, so while the speculations are that he doesn’t have a release clause and has three years left on his contract, we are in a strong position, especially if there is a bidding war, to obtain some decent money for Tolaj.But we have undersold players in the past, and I hope that doesn’t happen to him. He is easily a £5 million+ player, and I’m sure that wherever he goes, he will continue to score goals.But is it inevitable that he will leave? “Yes, it is.”

Lorent Tolaj may be worth even more than £5 million as a Championship player.

Last summer, Richard Kone, who had similar excitement and expectation surrounding him as Tolaj, left Wycombe Wanderers for QPR for an initial £2.75 million, with the possibility of climbing to £5 million with add-ons.

Ultimately, the Chairboys may have demanded more up front for the Ivorian, but their League One status did not offer them much leverage.

While there may be a bidding war for Tolaj this summer, Plymouth may find it tough to hold out for what many at Home Park believe is a reasonable amount for him, and if the Swissman is willing to make that step up, they may be forced to accept less than they had anticipated.

As a result, the Pilgrims will be under pressure to finish in the top six this season, but even if they don’t, they may be in a stronger position to sell Tolaj in the summer of 2027 if they can persuade the 24-year-old to stay in Devon for another year.

Plymouth has been in the top two since mid-December, so if the same core of players can stay at the club next year, Tom Cleverley’s team might make a comeback to the Championship. Furthermore, if Tolaj can stay fit throughout the year, he will be a contender for the Golden Boot, increasing his market worth.

Pilgrims fans may be prepared to lose the Swiss forward this summer, but if they can persuade him to stay for another year, they might make a lot more money than they would as a League One club this off-season.