Plymouth Argyle have announced via club media that midfielder Luke Cundle has returned to parent club Wolves.
Cundle joined Argyle in the summer on loan and would make 27 appearances during his stay at Home Park. During that time he would put his name on the scoresheet five times as well as supplying a further six assists.
It is a huge loss for Plymouth with Cundle being the source of creativity in midfield. The 21-year-old’s final game in green saw him score and assist in the club’s 3-1 FA Cup victory over Sutton United.
It is believed that the youngster will be sent out on a separate loan spell to fellow Championship side Stoke City for the second half of the season. Significantly, that is where former-manager Steven Schumacher is now in charge which will have no doubt had a huge say in the decision.
With Stoke as somewhat of a direct rival to Plymouth in the league currently, losing Cundle comes as a significant blow.
To make matters worse, the Wolves-loanee is not the first player to return to their parent club in January, after Plymouth announced the departure of Finn Azaz earlier in the week. In that instance, Azaz returned to parent club Aston Villa prior to being sold to Middlesborough for an undisclosed fee.
The departure of both midfielders means that there is now a significant hole in the middle of the park. Recent news will have certainly impacted the club’s January transfer plans, with the midfield positions now being the key area which needs to be addressed.
It has been a busy week for Plymouth, with the club also announcing the appointment of Ian Foster as manager earlier in the week. Former England under-20 boss Foster will be given the January transfer window to bring in the players he wants, but there are obvious areas in which the manager must fill first.
With the Pilgrims currently sat in 18th, seven points ahead of the relegation places, January will be all about recruiting the correct players to keep them afloat in the Championship this season. Although the window may have not got off to the best start, Foster still has plenty of time to turn things around.
That being said, with one of the smaller budgets in the league, Argyle may find it hard to compete with rivals this window for their top transfer targets.
Writer’s View
2024 has not got off to the greatest start for Argyle with the announcements of both Azaz and now Cundle leaving Home Park. On the positive side, they are still unbeaten in the New Year, with a draw in the Championship against Watford followed by their FA Cup victory over Sutton.
The second half of the season will no doubt be tougher, but fortunately Foster’s men do currently have a bit of a buffer to the relegation places. They do need to regain the winning thread though in order to bolster that said buffer and after four games without a win, a few sides below them are beginning to catch-up.
Senior Editor
