Plymouth Argyle reach big breakthrough in plan to appoint Tom Cleverley | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle are reportedly closing in on the appointment of former Watford head coach Tom Cleverley.

Plymouth Argyle are reportedly set to appoint former Watford head coach Tom Cleverley as their new manager.

That's according to journalist John Percy, who claims that Cleverley is in "pole position" to take over at Plymouth, with the 35-year-old believed to be in "advanced talks" to replace Miron Muslic at Home Park.

The Pilgrims are preparing for life back in League One after being relegated from the Championship last season, and they have been on the hunt for a new manager since the departure of Muslic to German side Schalke last month.

The likes of Ian Evatt, Jack Wilshere, Des Buckingham and Stephen Robinson have all been linked with the Argyle vacancy over the past few weeks, but it now appears the Devon outfit are closing in on the appointment of Cleverley.

Cleverley has been out of work since being sacked by Watford last month after just over a year in charge at Vicarage Road, but it now seems that he is set to make a swift return to management with Plymouth, with talks accelerating between the two parties.

Plymouth Argyle closing in on Tom Cleverley appointment

After Muslic's exit was confirmed, Plymouth owner Simon Hallett admitted that he was "disappointed" by the "timing and manner of his leaving", rather than the fact he was keen to join a club the size of Schalke.

Despite unexpectedly losing Muslic, the Pilgrims have continued their preparations for the new season, with four new signings arriving at Home Park already this summer in Jack MacKenzie, Bradley Ibrahim, Caleb Watts and Jamie Paterson, and it now looks as though Cleverley is close to taking over at the club.

After calling time on a playing career that saw him represent Manchester United, Leicester City, Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa, Everton and Watford, Cleverley took his first steps into coaching with the latter when he became the club's Under-18 lead coach in July 2023 before stepping up as interim manager of the first-team following the sacking of Valerien Ismael in March 2024.

Cleverley was handed the permanent job the following month after an impressive caretaker spell, and despite many tipping the Hornets for relegation at the start of last season, his side emerged as surprise play-off contenders after a strong start to the campaign.

Watford sat as high as sixth in the table in late December, but no team picked up fewer points than Cleverley's men in the second half of the season, and he was dismissed last month after a 14th-placed finish, with owner Gino Pozzo claiming that a more experienced manager was needed in order for the club to challenge for promotion next term.

Cleverley has attracted plenty of interest since leaving Vicarage Road, and he held talks with Southampton last month before the appointment of Will Still, but he is now set to return to the dugout with Plymouth, with his arrival expected to be confirmed within the next 48 hours.

After the appointment of Muslic in January, Hallett described Plymouth as a "risk-taking club", and while Cleverley's appointment would be less of a gamble than Ian Foster or Wayne Rooney, there is no guarantee he will be a success.

Cleverley did show potential during his spell in charge of Watford, particularly in the first half of last season, but his side picked up just 20 points from their final 24 games of the campaign as their play-off push collapsed, which will be a concern for the Pilgrims fan base.

However, Cleverley has certainly done enough to deserve another opportunity in management, and it is possible he could thrive in League One at a more stable club, while he will likely have one of the best squads in the division to work with as Argyle aim to make an immediate return to the Championship.