“Disaster” - Claim made on departing £1.5m Plymouth Argyle man as his "heart" is questioned | OneFootball

FLW's Plymouth Argyle fan pundit gives their view as Plymouth Argyle's club record signing Michael Baidoo departs for Qatar.

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…

Having been relegated down to League One, Plymouth Argyle are set to undergo a fair bit of change this summer, and the squad churn has continued with the departure of Michael Baidoo.

The 26-year-old, who arrived at Home Park for a club-record fee in the January transfer window from Swedish Allsvenskan side Elfsborg, has struggled in England, and it has now been confirmed that he has joined Qatari outfit Umm-Salal on loan.

There will be a bit of regret from Plymouth, both fans and the club’s hierarchy, over how the move has gone, with Baidoo having managed just 11 appearances in the Championship for Argyle.

Michael Baidoo has been a "disaster" at Plymouth Argyle

It is believed that Baidoo’s move from Sweden down to the south coast of England cost in the region of £1.5 million, and that significant an outlay for Plymouth has led FLW’s Argyle fan pundit Luke Hodge to describe Baidoo as a ‘disaster’.

Luke told FLW: “Michael Baidoo’s loan move to Umm Salal in Qatar basically highlights what a disaster signing he’s turned out to be for us at Argyle. A disaster £1.5 million record signing, as well.

“We have been interested in him for a couple of years now. I think when he was initially set to join, which was in the summer last year, then circumstances could have unfolded differently. At that time, his club, Elfsborg, were still in European competition and that stopped it from happening then.

“When he did eventually join us in January for a club-record £1.5 million, the timing was unfortunate, with Wayne Rooney on the brink of being sacked and Miron Muslic implemented a radically different footballing philosophy, which certainly wouldn’t have suited Michael Baidoo.

“The shift found him struggling to find his footing, and he rarely featured. He often appeared fatigued, and his performances were disappointing.

“It’s clear that various factors, including his tiredness because he had played continuously for about 18 months by then, and the contrast in playing styles and the overall turmoil in the club, played a role in the overall lack of success.

“We had hoped that a fresh break and then a solid full pre-season would have allowed him to rediscover his form, but it seems that the damage has already been done.

“His heart doesn’t seem to be in it, he clearly doesn’t want to play in League One, and he’s ready for a fresh start elsewhere.

“It’s ironic because the footballing philosophy under [Tom] Cleverley might have suited him more than the either of the Argyle managers previously.

“If we can recoup a significant portion of the amount we invested in him, then that would be beneficial for Argyle, but I think he still has three years remaining on his contract, so it will be interesting to see how this situation unfolds.”

Plymouth Argyle are having a busy summer - Michael Baidoo's exit shows that it's not slowing down

It is expected to be a busy summer transfer window for Plymouth, and that has already begun with the controversial departure of Miron Muslic to Schalke and the fairly swift appointment of former Watford boss Tom Cleverley.

In terms of other departures, Plymouth have already sold attacking midfielder Adam Randell to Bristol City, whilst Ryan Hardie has left for Wrexham and Daniel Grimshaw has joined Norwich City.

As well as that, both Saxon Earley and Jordan Houghton have moved to Stevenage on free transfers, whilst Ben Waine has also been released by the club, with Mustapha Bundu and Nathanael Ogbeta opting for moves to Hannover and Barnsley respectively.

In terms of incomings, Argyle have brought in Caleb Watts from arch-rivals Exeter City as well as Jack MacKenzie, Jamie Paterson and Xavier Amaechi from Aberdeen, Coventry City and Magdeburg respectively.

In terms of fees, Plymouth have purchased former Crawley Town midfielder Bradley Ibrahim from Hertha Berlin, as well as Owen Oseni from Saint Mirren for a fee believed to be in the region of £60,000.

The departure of Baidoo is another piece of business in what is already a hectic summer for Argyle, and a summer that shows very little by way of slowing down.

It's unknown as to whether Argyle will scoop up a loan fee for the Ghanaian's services, but they will be hoping that his temporary stint in the Middle East goes well so that it can become a permanent move next summer - it has definitely been a transfer to forget.