Plymouth Argyle may face transfer re-think as concerning Notts County trend emerges | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle's potential summer target, Alasanna Jatta, has had his clinical finishing questioned.

Plymouth Argyle's season seems destined to end in relegation despite something of a fightback since Miron Muslic's arrival.

Under the previous regime, with Wayne Rooney as head coach, the Pilgrims were heading in the wrong direction, and their performances were nowhere near the standard expected of a Championship side.

While Muslic has faced similar challenges, he has at least started to get more out of his side, even guiding them to a famous FA Cup victory over the soon-to-be English champions, Liverpool.

With eight games remaining, they currently sit six points adrift of 21st-placed Cardiff City. While a fightback to catch the Bluebirds is still possible, a challenging run of fixtures against predominantly play-off hopefuls - culminating in a final-day clash with Leeds United - makes survival a daunting task.

This makes it increasingly likely that the Pilgrims will be back in League One next season, and it would be no surprise to see them strengthen their attacking options to support the likes of Ryan Hardie. One player, in particular, was on their radar in January and, despite showing some limitations this season, could still prove to be a valuable signing at that level.

Plymouth could return for Notts County's Alassana Jatta

In the January window, Argyle set out in search of a new striker to address their goalscoring issues, with Alassana Jatta high on their list of targets.

The 26-year-old has been firing in the goals for Notts County since joining them in January 2024 and the Pilgrims arrived with a bid in January of £750,000 to try and tempt the Magpies.

Unfortunately, Stuart Maynard's side were staunch in defence of their star attacker and The Guardian understood that they would demand at least £1 million to lose him.

A response from Plymouth never came to fruition, but could they return in the summer?

It certainly seems like a possibility, and with Jatta entering the final year of his contract this summer, Notts County may have to lower their asking price.

This could make a deal more feasible for Muslic’s side, who may also have to contend with the potential departure of Ryan Hardie, given his performances have likely attracted interest from Championship clubs.

Alassana Jatta's alarming statistics may sway Plymouth's decision

On the surface, Jatta appears to be a clinical striker, boasting an impressive record of 25 goals in 45 appearances despite having only recently completed his first year in English football.

This season, he has stepped up to fill the goalscoring void left by Macauley Langstaff, with his 17 goals making him the joint-top scorer in League Two alongside Michael Cheek.

However, as Plymouth's scouts will undoubtedly be doing, a closer look beyond his impressive figures reveals some concerning trends. His 30 big chances missed is 16 more than any other player in the division, and he has underperformed his expected goals (xG) by 3.6.

While he has managed to somewhat get away with this with Notts being one of the most creative teams in the fourth tier, in the division above he may not be so lucky.

In their previous promotion season, the Pilgrims thoroughly outperformed their xG, and it is difficult to see them being as clinical or creative with their current squad.

This concern regarding the striker may prompt them to look elsewhere, with more clinical alternatives likely to be found across the EFL. However, credit must be given to his ability to create those opportunities, and his movement around the box is certainly impressive.

Whether this will be enough for Plymouth remains uncertain, and if they do decide to pursue a deal, it will undoubtedly be something of a gamble.