Plymouth Argyle: One man’s exit feels nailed on if Fredrik Hammar lands | OneFootball

The Greens' interest in the Swedish midfielder could spell the end for a promotion-winning star

Plymouth Argyle will be counting down the days until the January transfer window, with the Pilgrims needing to add some extra quality to their playing squad to help their battle at the bottom of the division.

There has already been speculation surrounding the Greens and potential recruits in the new year, with Swedish outlet Sportsbladet linking Hammarby midfielder Fredrik Hammar with a move to Home Park in 2025, following a successful season in the Allsvenskan.

Boss Wayne Rooney will likely need to offload some players already on the wage bill in Devon to make room for any mid-season arrivals, with a number of stars likely to be nearing the exit door at the Theatre of Greens as the new year arrives.

One of those could well be Jordan Houghton, with the former Chelsea man struggling to work his way into first-team proceedings during the 24/25 campaign, leading to doubt over his future with the club as replacements start to get targeted.

Plymouth Argyle linked with move for Hammarby ace Fredrik Hammar

The report from Sportsbladet regarding a move for Hammar was issued last week as the Swedish domestic season came to a close, with Hammarby finishing runners-up to Malmo at the conclusion of the campaign.

The 23-year-old, who was on the books at Brentford earlier in his career, featured in 25 of his side’s matches in a defensive midfield role, and performed well enough to earn a number of admirers, with the report stating other unnamed Championship clubs were also interested in the star.

Having featured for his country at youth level during his career, Hammar is a player who is obviously well-thought of in his homeland, and a move for the midfielder could add solidity to the Argyle line-up which has been lacking of late, with a midfield that has been too easily surpassed in their Championship outings.

With a contract that is said to run until December 2027 with his current employers, the Greens will need to stump up the cash to bring Hammar to the club, and continue a recent trend of turning their attention to Scandinavia, following the arrival of compatriot Rami Al Hajj from Odense in the summer.

The Pilgrims also tried to lure Elfsborg’s Michael Baidoo to the club near the end of the recent transfer window, only for the Europa League participants to stand in the way of any deal, such was the player’s importance to the club.

But if any deal for Hammar is completed, it will leave Rooney with a number of stars competing for the two holding midfield roles at the club, with Houghton seemingly at the bottom of the list in terms of competition.

Jordan Houghton’s Plymouth Argyle future could be in doubt if Fredrik Hammar deal is completed

With Adam Randell and Darko Gyabi seemingly the preferred pairing in the middle of the park of late, Houghton has found himself playing a bit-part role for much of the campaign, with appearances off the bench becoming a regularity since the summer.

Having played 40 Championship matches last season, the ex-MK Dons midfielder has been relegated to a watching brief for Michael of 24/25, with just three starts to his name this season, with the most recent being in the 1-0 win over Portsmouth as Randell recovered from injury.

In terms of backup options in the middle of the park, Houghton is battling Adam Forshaw for a spot whenever one comes available in midfield, with the former Leeds United man edging it with six starts this season, and eleven appearances overall.

Forshaw’s passing range gives him the edge between the duo, but his ageing legs have also been suspect when the Greens have been out of possession during the current campaign, with the 33-year-old too easily surpassed when the opposition are in possession.

Houghton, meanwhile, can never be questioned in terms of professionalism when turning out in green, but that lack of cutting edge with the ball can often lead to momentum petering out when the ball is at his feet, and the ball needing to be recycled across the backline time and time again.

A pass completion rate of 64.8% this season does nothing to help his chances of getting more regular game time, with the Greens struggling to keep hold of the ball too often, especially when the opposition press them high up the field, where Houghton needs to be trusted to be the pivot to beat the press and kickstart an attack.

Saying that, if finances are to come into play, Capology estimates Forshaw to be on a club-high £15,000 per week as it stands, compared to Houghton’s £4,000, and with neither playing a huge part in the season to date, the ever-savvy Simon Hallett could opt to keep the cheaper option until his contract elapses in the summer.

If a player who comes in who is strong in the tackle and comfortable on the ball in the engine room, either player could find their future in doubt in the next few weeks, but with Houghton’s influence on the squad starting to wane, Argyle may well be happy to see the midfielder leave in January, and pave the way for someone likely to give them the step-up in quality that is desired.