Free agent is not ready to be Plymouth Argyle's Finn Azaz replacement right away: View | OneFootball

After winning the League One title last campaign, Plymouth Argyle's goal this season is to maintain their Championship status, which is so far looking likely.

During the first half of the season, Argyle were keeping their heads above water despite having one of the second tier's leakiest defences thanks to the goal contributions of Morgan Whittaker, Ryan Hardie and Finn Azaz.

The Pilgrims are still clear of trouble for now, but the recent loss of Azaz, who was recently recalled from loan by parent club Aston Villa and subsequently sold to Middlesbrough, certainly comes as a dent to the Pilgrims' survival hopes.

Azaz played a key role in Argyle's 2022/23 third-tier title-winning season, as he scored eight goals and created a further eight assists from just 24 starts.

The former Villa man then proved he was capable of making the jump from League One to the second tier by scoring seven goals and producing five assists before being recalled by the Premier League side in early January.

Removing Azaz's presence and goal productivity from Argyle's ranks will not help the Devon outfit in their survival bid, but the continued goalscoring form of Whittaker could prove vital to maintaining their second-tier status.

Nonetheless, in order to achieve survival, it may be necessary for Argyle's new manager, Ian Foster, to bring in an Azaz replacement through the door at Home Park.

Plymouth Argyle linked with Ovie Ejaria

Following the exit of Azaz, Football Insider has reported that the Pilgrims are interested in signing former Liverpool man Ovie Ejaria in an effort to plug the gap left by Azaz's departure.

Most recently, Ejaria was at Reading, where he made 124 appearances in total, joining the Royals on an initial loan deal from the Reds in 2019 before signing permanently in 2020.

The ace did not make a single appearance for the troubled Royals during the current League One campaign, and his contract in Berkshire was terminated in December.

Ejaria is clearly a talented footballer, having spent time at both Arsenal and Liverpool as a youth player, and has also represented England at under-20 level.

However, the 26-year-old has not played since the Royals' 2-0 Championship defeat to Watford in November 2022, which will feel like a lifetime ago to the Royals faithful.

Plymouth cannot expect Ovie Ejaria to make an instant impact

Given the fact Ejaria has not made a single appearance in 14 months, neither Foster nor the Argyle faithful should expect the former Liverpool man to hit the ground running immediately.

Expectations may be high for players performing in the attacking midfield role at Home Park due to the lofty heights hit by Azaz, but Ejaria will take time to re-adjust to a regular amount of playing time and to settle in at a new club.

Recent hardships at the Royals, such as owner Dai Yonnge's recurring failure to pay players on time, may have taken its toll on the likes of Ejaria who was subject to the club's relegation to League One. That relegation came as a result of a points deduction.

Furthermore, Azaz was one of the best players in his position during the first half of the current Championship campaign, so it is no surprise that a side such as Boro, who are hunting for a play-off spot, signed him.

It would be a big ask for anyone to produce the same kind of fine form displayed by Azaz at Argyle, let alone a player who has not played for over a year.

Ejaria should not be altogether written off, and may well be able to help Argyle achieve their goal of second-tier survival, but he is not yet ready to plug the gap left by the exit of Azaz.