Plymouth Argyle backed to seal "shrewd" Celtic transfer | OneFootball

FLW's Plymouth fan pundit has given his verdict on links to a move for Stephen Welsh.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Plymouth Argyle have shown an interest in signing Celtic defender Stephen Welsh this summer.

According to Sky Sports, the Pilgrims have made an offer to sign the centre-back on loan for the upcoming League One campaign.

Tom Cleverley is looking to bolster his options at the back before the transfer market closes on 1 September, as Argyle hope to make quick work on a return to the Championship.

The 25-year-old has struggled for game time at Celtic Park, and even spent time out on loan with top-flight Belgian side KV Mechelen last season, where he made 17 league appearances.

Plymouth encouraged to make Stephen Welsh signing

When asked about the bid for Welsh, FLW’s Plymouth fan pundit, Luke Hodge, claimed it could be a very smart piece of business.

He believes the team needs reinforcement at the back, and that a loan deal could open the door to a permanent move at a lower cost next year, if he performs well at Home Park.

“I think there’s no denying that we could do with another centre-half at Argyle,” Hodge told Football League World.

“We’ve currently got [Brendan] Galloway, [Julio] Pleguezuelo and [Kornél] Szűcs and Victor Pálsson as well.

“A couple of them are quite injury-prone, especially Galloway has been, Pleckie has been picking up a few injuries, Pálsson’s not getting any younger.

“So, to go for this lad on loan, Stephen Welsh from Celtic, at 25-years-old, I think he’s 6'4". He’s quite tall, and it’s something that we’re probably missing a little bit.

“I also think it’s also quite shrewd to go in for him on loan as well because he’s got two years left on his contract.

“So, if he was to play and have a good season this year, then there’s every chance we’ll have an opportunity to actually purchase him at the end of this season for a lot less than what it would be now.

“There is a big question mark over his fitness. He hasn’t played many games at all, he has been suffering with a shoulder injury, so it’s a little bit worrying.

“That’s probably hence the loan move rather than straight away, but I totally trust in Cleverley and Foxy and Randell to get the player they want in, and if they’ve targeted Stevie, then hopefully we can get him through the door and he can hit the ground running.”

Plymouth will begin their upcoming League One campaign with a home clash against Barnsley on 2 August.

Welsh signing has potential for Plymouth

Bolstering Cleverley’s defensive options with a loan for Welsh could be good business for Plymouth.

The defender hasn’t been able to make it work at Celtic, and needs to go out on loan to get regular game time in order to generate a market for a possible permanent sale.

If he plays well for the Pilgrims, then there’s every chance a permanent deal to stay at Home Park could make a lot of sense in 2026.

And Plymouth need the extra bodies at the back for the time being anyway, having lost central defenders Nikola Katic and Maksym Talovierov this summer.

So, this could be a move that just works for all parties.