Plymouth Argyle should consider offering Peterborough United player Championship move: View | OneFootball

Peterborough United’s premature exit from the League One play-offs sees Jonson Clarke-Harris’ tenure with the club end on a low note.

The striker has been a major force for Posh over the years, though, and won’t be without a number of potential suitors.

Plymouth Argyle could do a lot worse than bringing him on board as they look to improve their forward line ahead of next season.

Argyle’s need for attacking reinforcements

At one point in the season, both Ryan Hardie and Morgan Whittaker were scoring goals for fun in green and white.

They both saw their form dry up in front of goal, though, and Argyle, as a whole, struggled to put the ball in the back of the net.

Scotsman Hardie is in need of backup. Mustapha Bundu has looked bright at times and New Zealand international Ben Waine is likely in need of a loan move.

Replacing Finn Azaz (now of Middlesbrough) has proved difficult, and it won’t be any easier for the Devonshire club to fill the attacking positions if Whittaker moves on for a mouth-watering fee in this window too.

As a result, Argyle need to target someone who profiles differently to Hardie, has the ability to score goals for fun and has previously played at the Championship level.

Enter please, Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Clarke-Harris with a point to prove

After being an immovable force in the Posh starting XI for the best part of four years, the latest campaign will have been a shock to the system of Clarke-Harris.

A mere 16 of his 35 League One appearances were starts in 2023/24, owing to the brilliance of the likes of Kwame Poku, Ricky Jades-Jones and Ephron Mason-Clark.

At the same time, he still managed to score nine league goals, 12 in all competitions, a display of his professionalism in the face of adversity.

His influence over this club and the EFL in general is there for all to see, and so it wasn’t particularly surprising when manager Darren Ferguson showered him with praise when speaking to The Peterborough Telegraph: “Jonno will be gone and that is the end of what has been a magnificent signing for this football club. He’s been magnificent for us, a great signing.”

Teammate Hector Kyprianou also gave the forward a glowing review: “We gave Jonno a round of applause in the dressing room after the game. He's been class for us all season. He's led by example and we wish him well.”

Bristol Rovers, who were a whisker away from capturing the prolific striker earlier in the year, are one of many sides said to be eyeing up this lucrative free transfer.

Clarke-Harris is a two-time League One golden boot winner after all, with tallies of 26 and 31 winning him the prize.

It isn't just the third tier in which the 29-year-old has cut his teeth either. He netted a modest six goals and two assists in 1,940 minutes in the 2015/16 campaign as a Rotherham United player and was even better in his solitary Championship season as a Peterborough man.

12 goals and three assists was the return then, which is very respectable given that he was in a team that faced the drop. In a realistic world, Argyle will be in and around the bottom three again next season, so securing the services of a forward that can find the back of the net in promotion-chasing teams, as well as those at that bottom, could be invaluable.

Hardie is quick, runs in-behind and is always on the turn, whereas the man in question can hold up the ball, let off a ferocious shot and link up with fellow attackers, as well as plenty of running, too.

At 29 years of age, this may well be Clarke-Harris’ final chance for a move back to the most competitive league in the world, so, in truth, the end of his Posh contract couldn’t have come at a better team for either party.