Plymouth Argyle could look to Leicester City if in-demand player walks: View | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle will be waiting with bated breath to see if out-of-contract Brendan Galloway accepts a new deal at Home Park this summer, and if he doesn’t, back up defensive options will need to be recruited.

The Zimbabwean has been an impressive figure during his time at Home Park, having played his part in the Pilgrims’ League One promotion campaign last year, as well as their successful survival bid in the second tier that followed.

With experience at Sunderland, Everton and Luton Town under his belt, the 28-year-old has plenty of experience in the EFL, and fellow Championship sides have been linked with a summer move for the centre back.

Everyone at Argyle will be desperate for the left-footed defender to stay in Devon, but if he does decide to leave, Leicester City could have the perfect replacement waiting for them in the sharp of Lewis Brunt.

Leicester City loanee Lewis Brunt helps Mansfield Town to League Two promotion

After coming up through the Aston Villa academy, Brunt made the move to the King Power Stadium in 2021 when his time and claret and blue came to an end.

After a handful of appearances for the Foxes youth side in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, the versatile defender made his first-team debut in a 4-1 FA Cup victory over Watford in January 2022, before featuring again in the Premier League later that season.

With game time with Enzo Maresca’s side at a premium, the decision was made for the 23-year-old to ply his trade with the Stags in the fourth tier for the 23/24 campaign, and he has excelled with regular game time under his belt.

The young star became paramount to Nigel Clough’s plans at the One Call Stadium; making 34 appearances as the Nottinghamshire side were promoted to the third tier.

An ankle ligament injury sustained in the Good Friday clash with Wrexham ruled the defender out for the remainder of the season, but not before he proved himself as one of the division’s standout performers.

Needless to say, Clough will be doing all he can to lure Brunt back to the club for the following campaign, with the Stags’ boss admitting as much last week.

“Either [on loan or permanent], we’d just like to keep him. That’s the sort of thing we’ve got to discuss with Leicester.

“They have their own business to sort out at the moment, promotion celebrations and everything so we’re not sure if that will be a quick thing.”

Plymouth Argyle must call on loan market once again ahead of Championship campaign

Argyle have had plenty of success with loaning young stars from Premier League sides in the past; with the likes of Aston Villa pair Finn Azaz and Kaine Kesler-Hayden flourishing at Home Park over the past two seasons, as well as Tottenham Hotspur’s Ashley Phillips [pictured,right] and Alfie Devine.

Neil Dewsnip has already hinted that conversations are already in place for at least one of the previous loanees to return to Home Park this summer, as he spoke to the Plymouth Herald earlier this month.

He said: “The loan players will obviously go back (to the parent clubs) but we are already in discussions to see if we can maybe access one or two of those to stay again next year, but we are very early in the discussions.”

If Galloway is to leave, his versatility to play at either the left side of a back three or even as an ad-hoc left fullback will need to be filled, and Brunt has previous of playing at a number of positions when needed.

Only three teams conceded more than the 70 that Argyle shipped last season, with their leaky defence contributing to a second half of the season that saw them roped into the relegation mire.

After their last-gasp reprieve from relegation thanks to Joe Edwards’ winner against Hull City on the final day, Dewsnip and the powers that be at Home Park will be looking to address those issues going forward.

With Julio Pleguezuelo, Dan Scarr and Lewis Gibson the three centre backs on the books for definite at the moment, extra reinforcements will be needed ahead of the next campaign, and a player of Brunt’s ability and versatility could add that extra level of solidity at the back.