Plymouth Argyle made significant progress in the winter transfer window, twice exceeding their record transfer fee to bring in new recruits in the hopes of remaining in the Championship for a third consecutive season.
With Michael Baidoo in the door early for a fee that surpassed that paid for Morgan Whittaker and Bali Mumba in the summer of 2023, the Devon outfit quickly acquired Maxi Taloveirov from Austrian outfit LASK, with the Ukrainian costing around £1.7 million.
But with the winter business gone and done, attention will already be moving towards the summer, when players’ contracts will be coming to an end and decisions will have to be made regarding who will be staying at Home Park for longer than initially thought.
Argyle currently has a number of players whose futures are uncertain, and here we look at who may be on their way out by July 1.
Julio Pleguezuelo
Few would have expected Julio Pleguezuelo to play as prominent a part as he has in recent months, given that the Spaniard did not appear in the Championship until October.
Wayne Rooney clearly did not like the former Arsenal player, but with injuries taking their toll and Lewis Gibson leaving for Preston North End, Pleguezuelo has recently become a regular in the Argyle backline.
Miron Muslic certainly trusts the former FC Twente player, as he played alongside new arrivals Taloveirov and Nikola Katic in a back three that defeated West Bromwich Albion last weekend, but his future beyond the summer is still uncertain.
There is little doubt that he is committed to the Pilgrims’ cause right now, but an upgrade in the backfield may be required during the offseason, though many decisions will have to be made until the Greens’ fate is decided.
Mustapha Bundu
Mustapha Bundu, who signed a two-year contract with Pleguezuelo in the summer of 2023, is another player vying for a future in green right now.
The Sierra Leone international has been in and out of the team for much of his time as a Pilgrim, with only 20 league starts since joining the club, telling his own narrative, though injuries have also taken their toll over the last 18 months.
The forward is a controversial player, but there is no doubt that he gives his best when given the opportunity, and he could still play a significant role between now and the conclusion of the season.
Stay in the Championship and Bundu will most certainly leave for pastures new, but the forward might still be useful if Argyle are relegated to League One at the end of the season.
Jordan Houghton
Jordan Houghton, like the rest of the players on this list, appeared to be on his way out a few weeks ago, but Muslic’s appointment appears to have given the former Chelsea midfielder fresh life.
The Austrian manager wants his team to be well-drilled and focused in and out of possession, and that is exactly where Houghton excels, doing the dirty work while Adam Randell flourishes with the ball at his feet alongside him, rather than the untreatable Darko Gyabi.
The late arrival of Malachi Boateng from Hearts may put his place in jeopardy in the coming weeks, and the battle for a starting spot in the middle of the park could well decide Houghton’s future, with his two-year contract signed after earning promotion to the Championship expiring in less than six months.
Zak Baker
When Zak Baker signed his first professional contract with Argyle in 2023, the club anticipated he would be the next Michael Cooper, but the youthful shot-stopper has yet to make a first-team appearance.
After signing a one-year contract extension last summer, the 20-year-old may be looking to leave Home Park this summer to play regular football, having previously spent time on loan at Tiverton Town and Plymouth Parkway.
Will Jenkins Davies
The Pilgrims will have to make a huge choice on Will Jenkins Davies’ contract this summer, just as they did last summer, after the playmaker signed a one-year extension just eight months before.
Since then, the 20-year-old has played for Torquay United in the National League South, scoring five goals in as many games over the Christmas break, extending his stay at Plainmoor until the end of the season.
While he has yet to shown the type of talent that would allow him to compete in the Championship, there will always be a sense of regret if the forward proves them wrong later in his career, making this summer’s decision critical in so many ways.
