After a outstanding first EFL season with Grimsby Town in League Two, Jaze Kabia is reportedly set to feature at the centre of a fierce transfer battle this summer, with Championship side Stoke City ready to challenge Plymouth Argyle’s pursuit of the talented winger.
The versatile Irishman has been a key factor in the Mariners’ play-off push, where a point on the final day will all but guarantee a semi-final spot for David Artell’s side. The high-stakes game will provide the 25-year-old with a highly publicised platform to impress his summer suitors and add to his impressive tally of 18 goals in League Two this season.
Signed from Truro City last summer, Kabia still has over a year left on his contract at Blundell Park, meaning his signature won’t come cheap for interested parties. Kabia’s seamless transition into the EFL this season has been nothing short of impressive, and his prolific goal-scoring record makes it no surprise that clubs as high as the Championship are now vying for his signature.
Plymouth Argyle Braced For Summer Outgoings
Even with the season still in full swing, widespread speculation surrounds Lorent Tolaj’s potential exit from Home Park this summer, with a raft of clubs reportedly interested in the 25-year-old. The Swiss striker’s form has alerted clubs across the British Isles to a potential transfer, and Plymouth Argyle, known for their excellent recruitment in recent years, are already scoping out their next target should the right bid be lodged for Tolaj.
According to a Football Insider exclusive, the Pilgrims are willing to offer Kabia the chance to step up the pyramid, but they face competition from Stoke City for his signature.
Tom Cleverley has worked miracles to get a tune of 15 league goals apiece out of Tolaj and Aribim Pepple this season, a return that has propelled them into play-off contention, while simultaneously putting the players in the shop window ahead of the summer transfer window.
After a slow start to the 2025/26 season, which could yet cost them a play-off berth, Argyle won’t want to repeat the same mistakes, hoping to assemble a squad capable of kick-starting a promotion campaign next time around. Having left Cornwall less than a year ago, the prospect of a quick return to the south west coast to join Argyle may be attractive for the prolific attacker.
Why Is Kabia Attracting Such Interest?
If Kabia himself is keen on a move away from the Cleethorpes club, he has certainly found his very best form at an opportunistic time. He netted a hat-trick in last weekend’s crunch clash with Swindon Town, a result that saw the Mariners replace the Robins in the play-off positions with one game to play.
While he is capable of dominant attacking displays, such as the one he produced on Saturday, it has been his consistent goal threat throughout the season that has been a driving force behind Grimsby’s positive campaign. He has garnered a reputation for being a front-footed and positive ball carrier, determined to get himself into the opposition penalty area at any given opportunity.
It’s his willingness to track back and help out the full-backs that has endeared him to the Grimsby faithful. His impressive haul of 96 ball recoveries in League Two highlights the selfless work rate he gets through, while not jeopardising his very real goal threat. He has proven himself to be a reliable and consistent source of goal involvements, registering 16 for Truro City in 2024/25, and improving on that a season later, two tiers higher.
Stoke City Could Take A Chance On Kabia
Having proven his capability to step up two divisions with his last move, the Potters may be about to give Kabia the chance to do so once again. While going from National League South to the Championship in little over a year is fairly unprecedented, an out-and-out goal scorer can represent gold dust at any level.
A fertile goal getter is high on Mark Robins’ wish list this pre-season, after a season where a lack of goals saw early-season promise dwindle, and his side slide well out of promotion contention in late 2025. Sorba Thomas is set to win Stoke’s golden boot this season with a current tally of ten, and Million Manhoef next with seven.
Stoke City already knows the value of regular minutes in the fourth tier, with the Staffordshire side set to welcome back 20-year-old Emre Tezgel from a season-long loan with Crewe Alexandra at the season’s end. The striker has netted ten times for Alex and could be another utilised back at the Bet365 Stadium next term.
Robins has a well-known recent reputation for bringing on upcoming attackers; the most high profile example being Viktor Gyökeres. Originally a loan player from Brighton and Hove Albion, during his latest seven-year stint at Coventry City, the 56-year-old then signed him permanently and aided the Swede’s development tenfold through his careful nurturing of him.
While Kabia’s career has taken a very different course, he could well be drawn to working under the experienced coach with a reputation for maximising talent. The future of Jaze Kabia looks set to be a captivating story during the approaching pre-season, with his rise set to take him even higher should a suitable offer reach Grimsby Town.
