Plymouth Argyle would love repeat of free agent star handed to them by Leeds United | OneFootball

The midfielder made a massive difference during his short time as a Pilgrim

We are entering the time in the transfer window where deals are getting over the line left, right and centre, with clubs hoping to make the crucial addition to their playing squad that could make all the difference in the second-half of the campaign.

Whether it is a new defender to tighten up the backline, a number nine who is going to score the all important goals to help avoid relegation, or a magical playmaker who can sprinkle stardust wherever he goes, every side will have their own demands as the February 3 deadline ticks ever closer.

Plymouth Argyle will be among those looking to make some last minute additions before the window slams shut on Monday, with Miron Muslic looking to transform a side who are bottom of the Championship as it stands, and are desperate to put up a fight between now and the end of the season.

The Austrian wants his side to be physical and aggressive all over the park, and to do that they need a solid midfield that won’t give an inch, and how they would love to wind back the clock to the days of Toumani Diagouraga patrolling the engine room, with the free agent making the world of difference during his time in green.

Toumani Diagouraga helps to transform Plymouth Argyle season

The 2017/18 season will remain one that the Green Army will still struggle to comprehend, with a campaign that began with a run of one win in 14 league games somehow culminating in the Pilgrims narrowly missing out on the play-off picture.

Derek Adams’ side look forlorn and bereft of ideas in the opening portion of the campaign, as they shipped goals at an alarming rate and struggled to make an impact at the other end, but all that changed when Diagouraga joined the fold.

Having been on the books of Leeds United the season before, the midfielder left Elland Road that summer, but still didn’t have a club by October, which is when the Pilgrims swooped to make him theirs and turn their fortunes around.

Right from the off, the Greens looked like a sturdier outfit with their new addition in the side, as he hounded and harried the opposition, while offering a classy presence when in possession, that helped to keep the ball and offer a springboard for attacks to build.

Having picked up one point from their previous nine matches before Diagouraga’s arrival, Argyle lost just one of their next eight in all competitions, with wins at AFC Wimbledon and Bradford City backed up by a first league win at home since August over Northampton Town.

Slowly but surely, the tide was starting to turn at Home Park, before things kicked into gear from December onwards, as they embarked on a run that Janners can probably still scarcely believe to this day, with just two defeats in 21 games seeing them within touching distance of the play-offs come April.

Not that Diagouraga was around by that time, with the midfielder moving on to Fleetwood Town in January, but the experience and capability of the midfielder had helped to steady the ship when Argyle needed it the most and reminded them how to win games once again.

A crucial late winner against Gillingham was the catalyst for that winning run, and if that hadn’t happened in injury time, things could have been a lot different that season, as the Green Army know all too well.

It was short, it was sweet but Toumani Diagouraga made a massive impact during his time in green, and helped restore faith in the team when they were at one of their lowest ebbs.

Plymouth Argyle would love Toumani Diagouraga repeat this January

That sort of commanding presence in the middle of the park would be warmly welcomed at Argyle from now until the end of the season, even if it is just on a short-term deal as it was with Diagouraga.

Muslic has already set out his stall in what he expects from his new charges, and anyone who fails to give their all won’t be playing in green for much longer, it’s as simple as that.

Darko Gyabi has already felt the wrath of the former Cercle Brugge boss after being hooked at halftime recently before being dropped from the starting lineup altogether, with Jordan Houghton thriving in a role that requires concentration and dedication to carrying out a strict game plan.

While Adam Randell continues to operate in a box-to-box role, Argyle would hugely benefit from another commanding presence in the engine room right now, who is prepared to do the dirty work required keep the opposition at bay and shield the back line.

Diagouraga proved how much of an impact a player can make within three months at a football club, and the Pilgrims will be hoping any new addition can do similar between now and the end of the season.