Plymouth Argyle must be wary of Reading FC, West Brom repeat given short-term contract | OneFootball

The Greens will be looking to avoid a repeat of Andy Carroll's move to the Hawthorns with Andre Gray

Andre Gray netted his first goal for Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, as the striker played his part in a dramatic comeback to earn a point in a 3-3 draw with Preston North End.

Having been introduced as a substitute around the hour mark with his side still trailing by two goals, the former Luton Town man proved his Championship quality during his time on the pitch, and took his goal expertly to halve the deficit with eight minutes remaining.

With the Greens continuing to scrap for every point they can throughout the 2024/25 season, a player of Gray’s proven quality could make all the difference over the course of the campaign, with his clinical nature in front of goal what the Pilgrims have been missing of late.

With that in mind, the Devon outfit should be looking to sign the front man up until at least the end of the season, with his short-term deal until January leaving them vulnerable to him being poached by a Championship rival, something we have seen in the past with Reading FC.

Plymouth Argyle should tie down Andre Gray until the end of the season

Argyle initially made the move for Gray earlier in the month, when the news came through that loan striker Muhamed Tijani is set to be ruled out until 2025 after undergoing surgery on a hamstring injury.

That left Michael Obafemi and Ryan Hardie as the two main strikers at the club, and despite only being with the club a matter of weeks, the former Watford striker has already given the Green Army a glimpse of what a top quality Championship striker looks like.

While he may not be 100% fit to play 90 minutes each and every week yet, the 33-year-old’s movement and ability to find pockets of space is what sets him apart from his team-mates, while his potency in front of goal has never been in question.

While Hardie and Obafemi can’t be faulted for their effort for the team, having a player who can find the back of the net at will can make all the difference in the second tier, especially with a side where chances aren’t always arriving on a regular basis.

With that in mind, the Pilgrims hierarchy should be looking to extend Gray’s deal until the end of the season, and make the most of the player they have on their hands, despite it going against the club’s transfer policy of recent season.

Argyle have largely focused on signing younger players and employing loan stars that can add that extra bit of quality to the side of late, but a player of Gray’s experience and nous will be red-hot when he is fully match fit, and will add another dimension to the front line.

While Capology estimates him to be on £12.500 a week at Home Park - which ranks among the club’s highest earners - he could be worth that investment over the next few months, with staying in the second tier worth a pretty penny for any football club that manages to achieve it each season.

Plymouth Argyle must avoid Reading FC, West Bromwich Albion repeat with Andy Carroll

The situation with Gray right now is similar to that of Andy Carroll back in the 2021/22 campaign, where the former England international joined the Berkshire outfit on a short-term deal, having left Newcastle United the previous summer.

While he is still knocking the goals in for Bordeaux in the French fourth tier in the current day, Carroll was looking to prove himself in the EFL back in November 2021, with a deal until January at the Madejski Stadium giving him the opportunity to get some game time under his belt.

Two goals in eight games proved the striker still had what it takes to compete in the second tier, while he made the headlines after having two fantastic strikes disallowed in the same game against Fulham in his penultimate game for the club.

Having got up to full speed with the Royals, Carroll was immediately in the shop window come January, and West Brom couldn’t wait to snap him up until the end of the season, where he contributed another three goals in 15 games.

After taking a gamble on the frontman, Reading were left high and dry by the striker just months after, and were left battling relegation for the remainder of the campaign, while Carroll made himself at home at the Hawthorns.

With the current situation with Gray, there is every chance the same could happen with Argyle in January, with the striker using his stint at Home Park to put himself in the shop window ahead of the January transfer window.

Having given him a route back into the English game, the Greens need to be doing all they can to avoid a repeat of the Carroll scenario in the coming months, and tie the front man down to Home Park until at least the summer.