Michael Baidoo in, Victor Palsson out: Plymouth Argyle transfers we urge the club to make before February 3rd | OneFootball

The Greens need to make some changes in the new year to avoid dropping back down into the third tier

Plymouth Argyle are a club in desperate need of reinforcements in the January transfer window, with Wayne Rooney down to the bare bones at Home Park as it stands, due to a substantial injury crisis at the club.

The Pilgrims have had as many as eight players out of late - many of which are long-term absentees - with the likes of Ibrahim Cissoko, Joe Edwards, and Muhamed Tijani among those to be sidelined until 2025.

Morgan Whittaker, Ryan Hardie, and Lewis Gibson have also missed out in recent times, leaving the Greens relying on a number of second-string stars to fill the void, with performances being affected as a result.

With that in mind, we take a look at what kind of business those at Home Park should be having their eyes on in January, with ins and outs expected as the month progresses.

In: Michael Baidoo

Argyle are crying out for someone with a bit of creativity and ingenuity in the final third at this moment in time, with the early promise of Rami Al Hajj already starting to fade, having fallen out of favour despite only moving to Home Park in August.

Having brought the playmaker in from Denmark, the Greens should be returning to Scandinavia to get a deal for Michael Baidoo over the line, with the Ghanaian subject of plenty of interest over the summer.

With a club-record transfer fee said to have been submitted for the Elfsborg man, the Pilgrims were keen to get a deal over the line, only for the Europa League participants to reject any advances, due to their participation in European competition.

As times get tough, owner Simon Hallett will need to loosen the pursestrings to make sure they get a deal over the line in the new year, with Baidoo’s unpredictability going forward likely to add plenty to Argyle as an attacking unit if he were to join.

In: Defensive reinforcements

While there is no one name that springs to mind, Argyle are in need of some solidity at the back, with a number of players being exposed when the opposition fly forward, which has led to multiple thrashings already this season.

6-1 at Norwich, 5-0 at Cardiff, 4-0 at Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City, there are plenty of capitulations to choose from this season already and we are not even at the halfway mark yet.

Victor Palsson hasn’t covered himself in glory during his short time as a Pilgrim, with his six starts resulting in 21 goals being conceded, while Nathanael Ogbeta is another summer recruit that has failed to live up to expectations.

With Gibson’s fitness concerns continuing to linger, Argyle may need to delve into the transfer market to bring in an experienced head at the back to give his side some bite at the back, while a dynamic fullback who has defensive awareness would also be welcomed.

Both Ogbeta and Matty Sorinola have failed to hit the heights in the right-back slot in Edwards’ absence, and if one or both depart in January, there could be room for adequate replacements to be brought in.

As already discussed, Victor Palsson has struggled to adapt to the English game, with his poor defending costing Argyle time and time again whenever he is chosen in the starting eleven.

With Gibson and Galloway unable to be selected at the minute, the Icelandic international has had to have been used more often than he should be, as he gets shown up every time he takes to the pitch at this moment in time.

You only have to look at the ease that Anis Mehmeti carved through the defensive line in the weekend’s defeat to Bristol City to see how much the Pilgrims falter when he is on the pitch, and at an estimated £10,000 a week, the sooner he is off the books the better.

Out: Nathanael Ogbeta

The same goes for Ogbeta, who is simply not a Championship standard player, and that has been evident since his lacklustre debut in the 4-0 trouncing at Hillsborough on the opening day of the season.

A lack of defensive awareness and an inability to find a green shirt with a pass, the former Shrewsbury Town man needs to drop down a division to find his level, as he looks completely shot on confidence every time he takes to the pitch right now.

While Sorinola has his own defensive lapses that need to be addressed, the very sight of Ogbeta on the pitch gives the Green Army a sense of foreboding right now, with the faith in their recent recruit already having been lost.