Football League World
·14 August 2024
Plymouth Argyle consider Kewin Silva as Michael Cooper replacement
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Football League World
·14 August 2024
The Greens are set to lose their shot-stopper, and are said to be interested in the Moreirense man
Plymouth Argyle are said to be targeting Moreirense goalkeeper Kewin Silva, as Michael Cooper’s move to Sheffield United edges ever closer.
That’s according to Portuguese outlet Record, who claim that the Greens have shortlisted the 29-year-old as one of the replacements to fill the void between the sticks.
The Pilgrims have been in transfer talks with the Blades for a number of weeks over their academy graduate, with two previous bids reported to have been rejected, before a deal was said to have been agreed earlier this week.
The two sides are now said to have come to an agreement over the 24-year-old, leading to Argyle turning their attention to replacements, with Silva said to be one of the considerations.
With Cooper close to agreeing a move away from Home Park, Argyle are said to be interested in the services of Silva, who is said to have less than a year remaining on his contract in Portugal as it stands.
The Brazilian featured in 30 of his side’s Primeira Liga matches in the previous campaign, conceding just 34 goals over the course of the season, as well as featuring in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Farense to start the new season.
Having established himself as first-choice goalkeeper at the club, Silva is said to be highly thought of in Portugal, with Moreirense likely to want plenty of financial compensation for losing their number one.
There has been plenty of speculation surrounding Cooper this summer, after the shot-stopper reportedly rejected the offer of a new deal to extend his stay at Home Park.
The Devonian is said to have turned down a deal that would have made him the highest paid player at the club earlier in the summer, which led to intense speculation as to where his future would lie.
Sheffield United were the side that continued to lead the way with their interest in the goalkeeper, with the Blades reportedly having two bids rejected over the past few weeks, as Argyle continued to play hardball over one of their brightest stars.
But as negotiations continued to unfold, the picture became all the clearer when the Championship season got underway, with Cooper left on the bench for Argyle’s opening game of the season away at Sheffield Wednesday, a match they went on to lose 4-0.
Since then, talks have progressed, with a £2 million up front fee said to have been agreed, with the deal set to rise to over £4 million if further contractual obligations are met in the future.
The humiliation at Hillsborough was further evidence that Argyle need to replace Cooper as soon as possible, with Conor Hazard [pictured] failing to live up to the billing as he started the season between the sticks.
The Northern Irishman’s indecisiveness with the ball at his feet caused his side no end of issues in Yorkshire, with possession gifted back to the Owls on numerous occasions.
With Rooney wanting to implement a style that uses every member of the squad with the ball at their feet, a goalkeeper who is comfortable when his side have the ball is a given, as attacks flow from back to front.
As well as Silva, the Home Park outfit are also said to have had an interest in Bolton Wanderers’ Nathan Baxter in recent weeks, as The Sun journalist Alan Nixon reported.
It is clear to see that Argyle need reinforcements between the sticks, and the Devonians will be hoping to get a new man in as soon as possible to give them the best possible chance of thriving this season.