Ibrahim Cissoko has been a breath of fresh air since his arrival at Home Park, with the magical Dutchman giving Plymouth Argyle a fresh impetus going forward.
The quick-footed winger has caught the eye with his performances of late, including a match-winning brace against Luton Town at the end of last month, with two well-taken strikes seeing off the Hatters.
In total, the 21-year-old has netted three goals so far this season, while his unpredictability on the left-hand side has given his teammates plenty of room to work with going forward, such is his danger to the opposition backline.
The one issue Argyle may have going forward is whether another team opts to splash the cash for the winger in January, which would leave the Greens in a similar situation to last January, where loanees Finn Azaz and Luke Cundle left the club in the lurch.
Finn Azaz, Luke Cundle situations hurt Plymouth Argyle dearly last season
The Pilgrims seemed to have adapted well to Championship football last season, with things going along quite swimmingly at Home Park, before Steven Schumacher decided to up sticks and join Stoke City.
Just like a tower of cards, the whole blueprint Argyle had built quickly fell apart, with playmaker Finn Azaz returning to parent club Aston Villa, while Luke Cundle was recalled by Wolverhampton Wanderers.
With the pair being the Devon outfit’s two most creative players going forward, the Home Park hierarchy were left heading back to the drawing board, with Ian Foster assembling a squad of his own during the January transfer window after his appointment.
In hindsight, those replacements were not up to standard, with the Greens limping over the line to secure their second-tier status on the final day of the season and save their blushes after a wretched second half of the season.
With Azaz going on to join Middlesbrough for a reported £2 million fee and Cundle joining Schumacher at Stoke City for the remainder of the season, it was a double blow for Argyle, who saw the stars they had nourished thriving in the same division, while they were left treading water just above the relegation zone.
Plymouth Argyle have learned from Finn Azaz, Luke Cundle situation with Ibrahim Cissoko
To lose Cissoko in a similar manner this winter would be a cruel blow to take for Argyle, with the Toulouse loanee lighting up the division with his flair and pizzazz on the left flank.
| Ibrahim Cissoko Plymouth Argyle stats (FBRef) | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 9 |
| Starts | 8 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Shots/90 | 2.90 |
| Shot-creating actions | 29 |
| Stats as per Sofascore, league games only | |
The Greens have looked more threatening with each week that passes this season, with Cissoko working well with Rami Al Hajj and Morgan Whittaker to produce a creative triumvirate to match most teams in the Championship.
Therefore, keeping hold of him is imperative and director of football Neil Dewsnip has moved to allay some of those fears as January nears.
He said to Plymouth Live this week: “He can’t be recalled in the manner that Finn was last year, first of all. What can happen is if another club anywhere in the world bids for Ibi we have the right to match that offer.
“So we have first refusal, if you like, on that. Obviously, we don’t know, a, will that happen or b what the sum of money would be, but we have that opportunity if it suits us.
“We have an opportunity to be the first person in whatever the circumstance. We have not had that debate yet. It’s a little bit too soon probably to get into that but I’m sure I can speak for Wayne (Rooney), we are all impressed. It’s not just the fans who are impressed.”
While that may seem promising from an Argyle perspective, Toulouse will likely be expecting a return of the €3 million they paid NEC Nijmegen for his services last summer if they are to let him go, and with his recent performances, there is no reason why that fee couldn’t rise.
Argyle have proven in the past that they are willing to spend big, with a club-record bid for Elfsborg’s Michael Baidoo rejected over the summer, but if a bidding war begins for Cissoko, there could be every chance their limited resources could be overstretched.
Such are the gambles you take in bringing loan players to the club, but Argyle look to have learned their lesson from being burned last season, with the club having every hope of seeing the Dutchman perform at Home Park in February and beyond.
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