Plymouth Argyle set to miss out on signing midfielder | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle have reportedly missed out in the race to sign Hammarby midfielder Fredrik Hammar

Former Brentford midfielder Fredrik Hammar, who was one of Plymouth Argyle's transfer targets, is set to join Belgian top-flight side KV Mechelen in an agreement which is expected to become official in the coming days.

That's according to Swedish outlet, Sport Bladet, who report that the Hammarby man received interest from several clubs, including the Pilgrims, but will now move to Mechelen.

During his year-and-a-half spell with Brentford, Hammar made just one appearance, which came during the 2019/20 FA Cup campaign, but Argyle were eager to offer him a return to English football.

Plymouth set to miss out on transfer target

Sport Bladet revealed back in November that the Pilgrims had been scouting the 23-year-old, with intentions of making a transfer bid for his services in January.

However, a fresh report from the Swedish publication said that Wayne Rooney's departure from his duties as Argyle boss caused the holding midfielder to hesitate, and he has now opted to join Mechelen instead.

Since joining Hammarby in January 2022, Hammar has established himself as a key player, and worked under current Queens Park Rangers boss Marti Cifuentes, before the Spaniard joined the R's in October 2023.

The holding midfielder made 27 appearances across all competitions during the 2023 season, including two UEFA Conference League outings, which epitomises his quality.

Meanwhile, during the 2024 campaign, he was a crucial figure for Kim Hellberg's side once again, and made 25 Allsvenskan appearances, helping his side land a second-place finish in the league.

Hammar blow could damage Plymouth's Championship survival chances

On Saturday afternoon, which was the Pilgrims' first away trip since Rooney's exit, the Devon side maintained a rare clean sheet, as they drew 0-0 with Stoke City.

Argyle currently boast the worst defensive record in the Championship, having conceded a whopping 53 goals across 25 second tier fixtures.

It is no surprise, then, that they sit bottom of the table, ahead of three consecutive home games in the league, which could prove vital towards their relegation-battling efforts.

Hammar could have been a shrewd signing, whose defensive midfield abilities would have helped protect a currently struggling Pilgrims backline, but he has opted to move to the Belgian top-flight instead.

In fact, the former Sweden youth international's FotMob statistics highlight just how much of an asset he could have been for the Home Park side, amid the fight for Championship survival.

As per FotMob, Hammar won 67.1% of his tackles in the Swedish top-flight last term, as well as winning 62.3% and 67.2% of duels and aerial duels he faced respectively.

That sort of tenacity could be vital for the Pilgrims as they attempt to avoid an unwanted return to League One, but the Devon side will seemingly have to look elsewhere, with the Swede set to join Mechelen.