Football League World
·7. November 2024
Football League World
·7. November 2024
This trio will likely be attracting interest when 2025 gets underway, and the Greens need to stave off interest
While Plymouth Argyle will likely be wanting to add to their ranks in January, the Greens will also need to make sure that their top talent doesn’t walk out the door at the same time.
Wayne Rooney’s side have been found wanting at times in the early stages of the 24/25 campaign - particularly on their travels - and will be looking to freshen things up when 2025 gets up and running.
But keeping hold of their prized possessions might prove to be one of their hardest tasks in two months’s time, as clubs will come circling in the hope of luring players away for the second-half of the season.
While it is a position the Devon outfit have found themselves in on a regular basis of late, they will be looking to play hard ball once again, with a number of stars likely to attract interest.
While he is yet to hit the heights of the 23/24 campaign so far this season, there is no doubt that Morgan Whittaker is among the top talents in the Championship when he is firing on all cylinders.
Having found the back of the net 19 times in league action in his first full season with the club, the forward has added just three league goals to his tally so far this season; helping his side earn late points against Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End in the process.
Argyle were batting away offers all over the shop during the previous transfer window, with fellow Championship outfit Burnley said to have made two separate bids, as well as Scottish Premiership side Rangers.
Although the former Swansea City man has come out and said the assurance of first-ream football kept him at Home Park over the summer, it could be a different story once January hits, with his form suffering a huge dip from this time last year.
The Greens reportedly put a £10 million valuation on their prized possession’s head earlier in the year, although it remains to be seen whether any clubs believe he is worth the eight-figure fee after Christmas.
Argyle’s savvy approach to signing Andre Gray could come back to haunt them in January, with the two parties agreeing a short-term deal until the end of the calendar year when he made the move to Home Park in October.
Having netted his first goal in green during their remarkable comeback against Preston North End, and earning a first start in their recent 1-0 win over Portsmouth on home soil, the frontman continues to add that extra bit of Championship quality, that could make all the difference over the course of a full campaign in the second tier.
The main issue is where the striker sees his future lying once Auld Lang Syne has been belted out, with his contract in Devon only lasting until January, and whether other Championship clubs would be willing to give him a chance for the remainder of the season.
If he were to stay in Devon until the end of the season, his efficiency in front of goal could make all the difference at the bottom of the table, and once he is up to speed, seeing him playing for a fellow second tier club would be a bitter pill to swallow for those at Home Park.
Argyle have tried to take all the precautions necessary to avoid a repeat of the January departures of Finn Azaz and Luke Cundle from last season, with Director of Football Neil Dewsnip confirming to Plymouth Live that they have first refusal on Toulouse loanee Ibrahim Cissoko.
That means that should any other club put an offer in for the Dutchman this winter, the Greens have the ability to match it before any decision is made, which could see them manage to keep hold of the 21-year-old.
But the Pilgrims’ budget only stretches so far, so if another club came in with an offer out of their restraints, the winger could well be on his way in the coming months, whether Argyle like it or not.
A recent injury has ruled the wide man out until January as it stands, which could be a blessing in disguise in terms of Argyle’s hopes of keeping hold of the former NEC Nijmegen man until the end of the season.
Having already netted three times this season and bamboozled plenty more defenders with his twinkle toes, keeping hold of him for the long-haul is imperative for Rooney and his side, with Cissoko providing magic on the flanks time and time again in the early stages of the season.