Celtic Learn Asking Price for 21-Goal Striker

Celtic’s striker search has another name firmly in the frame, with Lorent Tolaj reportedly carrying a £3million price tag this summer.

The Plymouth Argyle forward has been linked with a move to Parkhead, and the Lancashire Post reports that the English club value him at around that figure.

For Celtic, the attraction is easy to see. Tolaj scored 21 goals in all competitions last season, and at 24, he is at an age where the next move could be a big one.

Martin O’Neill’s attacking department is already short of certainty. Tomas Cvancara has gone back to Borussia Monchengladbach after his loan, while Junior Adamu and Joel Mvuka are not expected to remain part of the picture.

There is also the situation around Kelechi Iheanacho. CeltsAreHere exclusively revealed tonight that the Nigerian striker wants to stay at Celtic and believes he has earned a new deal, but the club have not yet made him an offer.

That leaves plenty of moving parts. Daizen Maeda’s future is also unclear, and Callum Osmand is still at the early stage of his first-team development. Celtic need goals, options and players who can handle the jump quickly.

Tolaj would not arrive as a household name, but a 21-goal season will always get attention. The reported £3million fee puts him in an interesting bracket: not cheap enough to be dismissed as a punt, but not so expensive that Celtic would be priced out instantly.

The real question is whether he is ready for what Celtic need now. O’Neill cannot afford a summer full of maybes, especially with Champions League qualifiers ahead.

Plymouth are not talking like a club preparing to lose players easily. Chief executive Paul Berne has said their contracted players are expected back for pre-season, which is the usual public stance at this point of the window.

Still, the reported valuation gives Celtic something to work with. If Tolaj is high on the list, the next step is finding out whether Plymouth’s price is fixed or just the opening point in a summer negotiation.