Alassana Jatta signs: The dream Plymouth Argyle XI once the transfer window closes | OneFootball

The Greens will be looking to make additions to their side before the transfer window comes to a close

With the days ticking down in the winter transfer window, Plymouth Argyle will be looking to bring faces in to Home Park to help in their battle against the drop in the Championship.

With the Greens rooted to the bottom of the second tier table as it stands, new boss Miron Muslic will be looking to get stuck into his new task in the coming weeks, and will likely be stating his demands to the powers that be at Home Park in terms of new recruits.

The Austrian has already publicly lambasted his side for a dire performance at home to Queens Park Rangers, and things got worse against Burnley in midweek as the Pilgrims went down 5-0 to the Clarets in front of their own fans, with new faces needed as the former Cercle Brugge boss looks to turn things around in the south west.

With that in mind, here we take a look at just how the Greens could line up when the transfer window comes to an end on February 3, with incomings and outgoings expected before the end of the month.

GK: Conor Hazard

This one is a flip of a coin right now, with Conor Hazard and Daniel Grimshaw battling it out for the number one spot at Home Park, although the latter’s recent performance in the QPR defeat proved just how capable he can be between the sticks.

Questions had been asked of the former Blackpool man at times this season, but a resilient display kept the scoreline respectable against QPR, with a number of smothering stops to thwart the visitors when they looked destined to score

Hazard returned to the starting lineup for a brief period after Christmas before suffering another injury to keep him out of the match day squad, but if both were fully fit, the Northern Irishman’s commandment of his penalty area and shot-stopping is probably the superior of the two, so he would likely get the nod.

With Muslic seeming to prefer a more direct style of play, there will be less demand of Hazard to be playing with his feet as there was with Rooney, and that will play into his hands going forward. All he has to do now is stay fit.

RWB: Matty Sorinola

When all players are fit and available, it looks as if Muslic will be favouring a 3-5-2 system with Argyle, which means the Greens will be back to using wing-backs on either side, something which has suited them down to the ground when used in the past.

While Bali Mumba may have been the expected choice to fill in on the right-side, the former Norwich City star’s form has been indifferent of late, with the mistake to gift QPR their only goal on last weekend the icing on the cake of a sloppy performance that day.

While Mumba can offer up plenty as an attacking threat, he has been far from his best in recent weeks, and the Pilgrims can ill-afford to be fielding a player who gifts the opposition possession as much as he did at the weekend, with his carelessness finally punish by Rayan Kolli’s second-half strike.

Therefore, it is Matty Sorinola who should be getting the nod for the foreseeable future, with the former Swansea City man playing himself into contention at the back end of 2024, with some wholehearted performances on the right side.

The defender was bombed out of the squad for large parts of Wayne Rooney’s tenure, but having bided his time, he has come back with a point to prove, and if he can keep up his current levels of performance he should be starting as often as possible, with the returning Joe Edwards on hand to offer competition.

RCB: Kornel Szucs

Hungarian international Szucs is another player who has been sidelined due to injury of late, with the summer arrival failing to feature since the 0-0 draw with Stoke City on the first weekend of the month.

When he is fit and firing, he is probably Argyle’s most consistent centre-back, and would find himself right at home on the right-side of a back three.

His composure in and out of possession has seen him heralded as a shrewd acquisition in the summer, and with the Greens currently short on options at the back right now, there will be plenty hoping he returns to full fitness sooner rather than later.

CB: Julio Pleguezuelo

Julio Pleguezuelo has gone from being the forgotten man at Plymouth Argyle to being one of the key players in the defensive line of late, with the Pilgrims down to the bare bones in terms of playing personnel.

With Szucs on the sidelines with Brendan Galloway, and Lewis Gibson departing for Preston North End, the Spaniard has stepped up to the plate to fill the void at the back, having only played his first minutes of the season back in October.

Since then, he has gone from strength to strength at the back, and has earned the right to retain his place when all defenders are available, despite the rancid showing in midweek.

LCB: Mike Eerdhuijzen

With Brendan Galloway ruled out for the rest of the campaign after requiring surgery on the upper part of his leg, the Pilgrims are down to the bare bones when it comes to defensive personnel right now.

The Greens are said to have had an offer accepted for Sparta Rotterdam defender Mike Eerdhuijzen earlier this month, with the 24-year-old badly needed to give reinforcement to a defensive unit that continues to ship goals.

With 60 strikes hitting the back of the net in 28 league games this season, the Dutchman can do no worse than those already at the club, and Argyle will be hoping they can convince him to make the move to the English game, although the player is supposedly having second thoughts about a move to Devon.

LWB: Tymoteusz Puchacz

It may be early days, but Tymoteusz Puchacz looks to be a solid signing on the left-side of defence, with the Polish defender joining the club on loan until the end of the season.

The player borrowed from Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga looks to have added a bit of tenacity that had been lacking in the Argyle squad of late, while his delivery into the penalty area could well be a weapon the Greens could utilise once they get back to their best.

While he looks to be terrifically one-footed, with his right foot only there for standing, he is a marked improvement on the options on the left side so far this season, and will likely be a regular starter from now until the end of the campaign.

CM: Adam Randell

No surprises here: Adam Randell has been at the heart of this Plymouth Argyle side for the whole season, has donned the captain’s armband at times, such is his importance to his hometown club in the middle of the park.

‘The Plymstock Pirlo’ contributes both with and without the ball, with his energy to win the ball back and put his body on the line coupled with his sumptuous ball-spraying abilities, as he looks to keep Argyle ticking when things get tough.

The midfielder just seems to be getting better with each passing week, and is proving himself indispensable to the club he loves right now. His inclusion is fundamental in keeping the soul of the side intact.

CM: Ethan Erhahon

Argyle are in dire need of a combative midfielder in the middle of the park to compliment Randell, with Darko Gyabi failing to fit the bill during his loan spell from Leeds United.

The former Manchester City man was pulled off at half-time after a sloppy first-half performance v QPR, with Jordan Houghton taking his place for the second-half, with Muslic potentially showing his hand early regarding the England youth international.

With Adam Forshaw departing for Blackburn Rovers earlier this month, the Greens need another player who has the energy and nous to win back possession, but can also help build attacks when needed, and Lincoln City’s Ethan Erhahon could be the man to fit the bill.

The Scot is a regular standout performer for the Imps, as he aims to control the game in the middle of the park, and looks set for a career higher up than the third tier, given his dynamism and football intelligence in that midfield role.

While he may command a considerable fee, Argyle will need to stump up some cash to bring top talents in at some point, and Erhahon could provide the spark in the engine room to help the team compete going forward.

LW: Ibrahim Cissoko

Ibrahim Cissoko is another player who has been struggling with injuries of late, with the Toulouse FC loanee failing to start a game since October after suffering a hip injury.

While the Dutchman has reemerged as a late substitute in recent appearances, he has failed to make much of an impact as he works his way back into contention, and Argyle will be hoping he is back to his best in the coming weeks.

The young star has proven just how devastating he can be when given the opportunity earlier in the campaign, and if he gets back to his best before too long, it will transform Argyle as an attacking force, with his trickery and ingenuity proving too hot to handle on the left side.

CAM: Rami Al Hajj

A player who can excite and frustrate in equal measure, Rami Al Hajj has proven he has plenty of quality in his boots during his time at Home Park, but those moments have been few and far between in a team that is struggling for anything resembling attacking output recently.

The Swede obviously has the creative mind needed to play in the role behind the striker, but with a lack of players to link up with, he has been found wanting more often than not, with his full potential unable to be released.

With a couple of additions in the final third, and the return of Cissoko on the left-hand side, things could turn around in the next few months, with the former Odense player ready to be unleashed when the time is right.

Club-record signing Michael Baidoo will also be competing for this role, but the Ghanaian is evidently off the pace having not played a competitive game for over a month before moving to Devon, but the pair will likely bring the best out of each other when the competition for starting places hots up.

RW: Mustapha Bundu

There was an argument to be made that Mustapha Bundu was one of Argyle’s best players in the latter part of 2024, before the Sierra Leone international had to come off early through injury in the Boxing Day defeat to Coventry City.

Muslic comes across as a boss who wants his players to be physical and intense, and Bundu’s performances - especially in the 3-3 draw with Middlesbrough before Christmas - proved he has what it takes to give defenders a torrid time on the flanks, and execute a fine delivery to be gobbled up by those in the penalty area.

Morgan Whittaker's no-show in midweek makes a departure look all the more likely in the coming days, with Middlesbrough and Burnley sniffing around, and Bundu will relish the opportunity to fill the void going forward.

ST: Alassana Jatta

Argyle are said to have submitted a bid worth £750,000 for Notts County striker Alassana Jatta this week, with the Greens in desparate need of someone who can lead the line and give opposing defenders a thing or two to think about in the final third.

Muslic has already laid into his players for a lack of physicality up top, and the Gambian is a player who is full of aggression and tenacity when playing for the Magpies, and his ability to find the back of the net, as well as bring others into play will be a great addition to the Pilgrims if they can get a deal over the line.

Ryan Hardie, Michael Obafemi and Muhamed Tijani are all struggling for fitness of late, leaving Michael Baidoo struggling in an unfamiliar role in an unfamiliar team, and another out-and-out attacker is needed to provide a focal point to the attack.

Portsmouth and Bolton Wanderers are both credited with an interest in the forward - having netted 17 times in 30 league games since making the move to Meadow Lane this time last year - but if Argyle mean business in the second-half of the season, they really need to get a deal for the powerful goal-getter over the line.