Plymouth Argyle deal in August looking crucial after fresh Conor Hazard developments: View | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle's deal to sign Dan Grimshaw from Blackpool is looking inspired business.

Plymouth Argyle have somewhat fought back from their dreadful opening day defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.

Decent performances against Queens Park Rangers and Hull City earned them points, while they came out on the wrong side of a tight game against Stoke City.

This will give Pilgrims fans hope that those first three points are just around the corner, with the levels improving week by week.

However, one man they will be without is their new number one, Conor Hazard.

The 26-year-old sustained an ankle injury in the latter stages of the game against the Potters and has since undergone surgery to rectify the issue. This is expected to keep him out of action for up to 12 weeks, which could see him miss up to 14 games of the season.

This will come as sour news to Wayne Rooney, who would have been desperate to see Hazard continue his early season form. However, an August signing from Blackpool is waiting in the wings and the hope will be that he can be a suitable replacement for the injury-stricken Hazard.

Having lost the undeniably brilliant Michael Cooper to Sheffield United in the summer, it seemed like Hazard would be set for his first full season as number one at Plymouth.

Unfortunately, this injury will sideline him for three months, leaving the responsibility of stepping into his role to the newly signed number two, Grimshaw.

A product of Manchester City's academy, the goalkeeper had been with Blackpool since 2021. A regular starter last season, he made 45 league appearances for the Seasiders, conceding just 47 goals and recording 18 clean sheets.

This piqued Plymouth's interest after Cooper's departure, with the Pilgrims reportedly offering a fee of around £600,000 for his services. This was duly accepted by his former club, and he will now get the opportunity to play Championship football for Argyle after making his debut in the EFL Cup against Watford.

Having been one of the best performers in his metrics last season, he will be desperate to make the most of this opportunity provided to him.

For Rooney, the hope is that Grimshaw can rise to the high standards set by Hazard, and when the Northern Irishman returns, the club will have two quality keepers battling for the starting role.

Grimshaw has the ability to challenge Hazard

Having only certified himself as Blackpool's number one last season, many will be questioning whether Grimshaw is ready to challenge Hazard as of yet.

However, comparing his performances for the Tangerines last year to Hazard's for Plymouth, you can certainly make a case for him.

Albeit in a division below the Championship, the former Cityzen outshone his counterpart in key metrics such as goals prevented, save percentage, and penalties saved. Moreover, his distribution per 90 minutes dwarfs that of the former Celtic man, making a strong case for Grimshaw to secure the number one spot when Hazard returns.

Right now, Rooney and fans alike will just be delighted that they have a perfect replacement in goal. But, in three months' time, the former Derby County manager will be hard-pushed to pick his number one, if Grimshaw performs to the level we know he can.