Plymouth Argyle are close to signing Danish defender Mathias Ross as head coach Tom Cleverley looks to strengthen his back line.
The 24-year-old, a former Denmark Under-21 international, is a free agent after leaving Galatasaray and has chosen the Pilgrims despite rival interest from Hull City, Oxford United and Sheffield Wednesday.
Ross Set for Home Park Move
Ross attended Argyle’s match against Leyton Orient earlier this week alongside his agent, with talks now advanced over a permanent deal. His arrival would represent the club’s second defensive signing in quick succession after Alex Mitchell joined from Charlton Athletic on loan and made his debut in the defeat to Orient.
Strengthening at the back has become an urgent priority for Cleverley, with Julio Pleguezuelo sidelined long-term through injury and the Pilgrims conceding nine goals in their opening four league games, all of which ended in defeat. The addition of Ross is expected to provide much-needed depth and experience to a defence under pressure.
Reports in Denmark claim Ross has opted for Argyle due to the prospect of regular football and a central role in the squad, despite approaches from elsewhere.
A Career Across Europe
Ross came through the academy at Aalborg, making his senior debut at 17 and going on to feature 94 times for the Danish Superliga side. In September 2022, he joined Galatasaray for a reported €1.75m, but he struggled to break into the Turkish club’s first team. Instead, he spent loan spells at NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands and Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic.
Sparta had the option to make the move permanent for €1.2m after last season, but with the centre-back making just 10 appearances, they chose not to trigger the clause. That decision left Ross available this summer, and with several English clubs interested, Argyle appear to have won the race for his signature.
Writer’s View
Ross looks a sensible addition for a Plymouth side in urgent need of defensive reinforcements. While his career stalled at Galatasaray, his experience across Denmark, Turkey, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic shows he has the pedigree to handle different challenges, not least one at Home Park.
At 6ft 2in, his presence and aerial ability should add resilience to a back line that has looked vulnerable in the early weeks of the season. For Cleverley, securing Ross could be one of the more important pieces of business in what remains of the transfer window as Argyle fight to steady their campaign.
