Plymouth Argyle learned the hard way about leaving players’ contract extensions too late earlier this summer, as goalkeeper Michael Cooper forced a move away from the club as he entered the final year of his contract.
Having reportedly rejected the offer of a new deal at Home Park, the Greens had no option but to cash in on one of their prized possessions, with the Blades now feeling the effects of his presence between the sticks.
With that in mind, Argyle will be determined to keep hold of their top talent for a long as possible in the future, with one eye already on contracts that may expire next summer as things stand.
Captain Joe Edwards has already been given a contract extension by the club to see him stay at the Theatre of Greens until 2026, but here are the other three stars with less than 12 months left on their current deals.
Jordan Houghton
Jordan Houghton was one of a number of players to sign a new two-year deal when the Pilgrims got promoted to the Championship in 2023, with the former Chelsea man racking up over 150 appearances for the club over his two spells.
Having played a major part in the Greens’ rise back up to the second tier, the midfielder struggled with injury issues at the start of the campaign, and has since found it tough to dislodge the likes of Adam Randell and Darko Gyabi in the middle of the park.
With a number of options at Wayne Rooney’s disposal in the engine room as it stands, Houghton seems to have fallen down the pecking order of late, with a new deal looking unlikely at this stage.
Julio Pleguezuelo
Julio Pleguezuelo arrived at Home Park ahead of the Pilgrims’ return to the Championship, with the Spaniard arriving in Devon from Dutch outfit FC Twente.
The return to English football has been anything but plain sailing for the former Arsenal man, with game time proving hard to come by at Home Park, with just 22 starts to his name last season.
| Julio Pleguezuelo 23/24 Plymouth Argyle Championship stats | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 32 |
| Starts | 22 |
| Tackles | 25 |
| Blocks | 26 |
| Stats as per FBRef | |
The 27-year-old has largely been reduced to appearances in cup competitions in the current campaign, with the likes of Lewis Gibson and Kornel Szucs preferred in the backline.
With that in mind, Pleguezuelo may well be on the hunt for a new club once the season comes to an end, having struggled to prove himself as a regular first-team starter.
Mustapha Bundu
Another one to join at the start of the previous campaign, Mustapha Bundu also signed a two-year deal last summer, with the Sierra Leone international joining the club from Belgian side Anderlecht.
The frontman only started nine matches throughout the 23/24 campaign, although he did score one of his side’s most important goals of the season, with his strike earning all three points in a 1-0 win over Leicester, when Argyle’s Championship status was hanging in the balance.
With the arrival of Rami Al Hajj and Ibrahim Cissoko, the forward has once again been limited largely to substitute appearances in the current campaign, with Argyle likely wanting to seek an upgrade when next summer comes around.
Will Jenkins Davies
It looked as if Will Jenkins Davies’ time as a Pilgrim was up in the summer just gone, as his contract with the club came to an end, but a late call saw the teenager given an extra year to prove himself to new boss Rooney.
While academy graduates Freddie Issaka and Liam Hatch have been given game time this season, Jenkins Davies remained on the periphery, before agreeing to return to Torquay United in the National League South on loan.
It looks as if the local lad’s time has run at Home Park, with his spell at Plainmoor giving him the chance to prove himself worthy of a contract elsewhere when the time comes.
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