Plymouth Argyle massively hit the jackpot with £1m star and these 5 others | OneFootball

The Greens have picked up some gems over the years, with these six the pick of the bunch

We are just a matter of weeks away from the January transfer window opening for business, with clubs across the EFL looking to bolster their squads ahead of the second-half of the season.

Plymouth Argyle will have already been putting in the hard yards in detailing potential recruits for the start of 2025, with the Greens leaving no stone left unturned in terms of finding new recruits to join Wayne Rooney at Home Park.

While there have been some questionable signings for the Devon outfit of late, they are a side who have got it right more often than not in recent times, with the Pilgrims purchasing a number of stars to help them on their rise through the divisions.

We took a look at six of the best since the turn of the Century where a Home Park hero has been produced, with none other than the club’s records signings to kick off proceedings.

Morgan Whittaker

After producing 16 goal contributions while on loan at Home Park for the first half of the 22/23 campaign, it was no surprise to see Argyle break the bank for Morgan Whittaker in the summer after earning promotion to the Championship.

The Greens forked out a club-record fee of £1 million to bring him to Devon on a permanent basis from Swansea City, and immediately carried on from where he left off, with 19 league goals to his name in the previous campaign.

The wide man was a major part in why the Pilgrims stayed in the division last season, and it was no surprise to see the likes of Burnley and Rangers trying to lure him away from the club over the summer.

He has shown loyalty to the Greens in staying put so far, although that particular worry is likely to raise its head once again when January comes around.

Bali Mumba

Bali Mumba was in a similar position to Morgan Whittaker last summer, having excelled on loan at Argyle, before returning to parent club Norwich City after helping the Pilgrims earn promotion.

But just days after his fellow loanee signed on the dotted line, he also got the chance to make his move to Home Park a permanent one, as he equalled the £1 million fee as the Greens prepared for life in the second tier.

An absolute bundle of energy down either flank, the former Sunderland youngster has been one of the most exciting players to watch at Home Park in recent times, with a number of key strikes along the way.

Peter Halmosi

One of the Magical Magyars that graced Home Park a little shy of two decades ago, Peter Halmosi joined Argyle after impressing on loan back in 2007, with a reported fee of £400,000 said to have done the deal.

The Hungarian was an absolute menace down the left-hand side for the Pilgrims, with his wand of a left foot producing plenty of moments of magic during his 18 months as an Argyle player, including the winner in a memorable 1-0 win over former boss Ian Holloway’s Leicester City.

Such was his promise that he joined Hull City in the summer of 2008 for a fee believed to be around £2 million, which marked a healthy return for Argyle, although they would have wished to have had him around for even longer.

Akos Buzsaky

Argyle had the Hungarian market on lockdown back in the mid 2000s, with Akos Buzsaky another player from the land of Ferenc Puskas to grace the Home Park turf.

After joining from Porto in 2005, the playmaker was a box of tricks in the centre of the park, with his elegance and eye for the spectacular immediately winning over the Home Park crowd.

A pair of free-kicks away at Norwich City is a standout memory during his time as a green, before he moved on to Queens Park Rangers after three years with the club.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake

At just £200,000, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake has to be one of the shrewdest transfers in Argyle’s history, with the Manchester United youngster doing the business the second he stepped foot in Home Park.

Regularly playing alongside Barry Hayles up top, the forward had 29 goal contributions in his 18 months as a Pilgrim, with ten goals at the start of the 2007/08 season seeing him attract the attention of Wolverhampton Wanderers in the January.

He had the power, the dynamism, that lethal ability in front of goal, and was one of the finest strikers seen in green during his brief time at the club, and a signing such as that one wouldn’t go amiss in the current iteration of the Argyle squad.

Jamie Mackie

‘You’re not City anymore’

That’s how Jamie Mackie was serenaded onto the Home Park pitch for his Plymouth Argyle debut, having made the £145,000 move from Devon rivals Exeter in January 2008.

It didn’t take long for the striker to establish just where his new loyalties were laid, with a quick fire brace against Barnsley just nine minutes after entering the field proving his quality right from the off.

With his searing pace and relentless energy at the top of the field, Mackie continue to harass and harangue defenders for a pastime during his two-and-a-half-years as a Pilgrim, and scored some vital goals along the way, with 16 in 98 appearances.

A move to Queens Park Rangers followed, where he spent time in the Premier League, before stints at Nottingham Forest, Reading and Oxford United, before taking up a punditry role, with his face regularly seen on the small screen.