Argyle have already brought in Ronan Curtis from Port Vale during the January transfer window
14:39, 15 Jan 2026Updated 14:52, 15 Jan 2026
Signing a new centre-back has become the priority for Plymouth Argyle over the rest of the January transfer window, according to head coach Tom Cleverley.
Julio Pleguezuelo has been sidelined by a calf injury until February and Brendan Galloway has made a successful recent move to left-back, while Kornel Szucs and Brendan Wiredu are viewed by Cleverley as a right-back and central midfielder respectively.
That leaves Alex Mitchell, the loan signing from Charlton Athletic, and Mathias Ross as the only two options in central defence for now.
Read More: 'Incredible servant' Bali Mumba leaves Argyle for Huddersfield
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Argyle have already brought in 29-year-old attacking player Ronan Curtis from Port Vale this month and Cleverley indicated there could be two more signings before the February 2 transfer deadline.
Cleverley said: "It's always a moving landscape. I think we have certainly selected one position we need to strengthen in, just because of a lack of numbers.
"With Brendan playing so well at left-back, it just leaves Mathias and Mitch fit at centre-half so we are extremely short in that area of the pitch.
"Then we will probably take the last one into the last week of the window and see if there have been any more injuries, has there been anything in the team's performance we are missing.
"I think we are clear a centre-half is a priority. If Brendan plays at left-back it leaves us no options at centre-half on the bench at the minute with Pleggy injured."
The transfer of Bali Mumba from Argyle to fellow League One side Huddersfield Town was completed on Thursday morning, for a fee in the region of £1 million and with the 24-year-old signing a contract until at least 2029 with the promotion-chasing Terriers.
Mumba was a key part of the Pilgrims' League One title success in the 2022/23 season when he was on loan from Norwich City and he then made a £1m permanent move to Home Park that summer.
Cleverley said: "First of all I want to say Bali has been a fantastic servant for the club, he's a great person. Sometimes a transfer works for all parties that are concerned.
"When the player also showed an appetite to move his career elsewhere then that's where we have really got to try to get what's best for our football club
"I think Huddersfield receive a good person, good player. Bali progresses his career somewhere else - he had his reasons for that - and we get a good fee that we can move on with now."
Cleverley added: "The first year in League One he was a big part of that of Finn Azaz, Morgan Whittaker, Bali Mumba line behind the strikers.
"It's difficult to replicate that in the league above where it's a lot more physical and challenging to create and score, and then this year he has been a consistent performer for us.
"The big thing about Bali is he's always available so his injury record is very clear but just didn't manage to get the confidence or the final product without scoring a goal for us this season.
"That's someone else's responsibility to develop now. We are disappointed we didn't get it out of him but, like I said, a great servant for the club.
"We are losing a good person first and foremost but sometimes a transfer works for all three parties - selling club, buying club and individual."
When asked whether the fee received for Mumba and the reduction in the wage bill would change Argyle's approach to the transfer window, Cleverley said: "It frees wages up, for sure.
"I think we might have been guilty in the past of spending budget that is there just for the sake of spending it.
"Derek's approach (Argyle's director of football Derek Adams) will not be that, we won't spend money for the sake of it. If the right player is there to improve the team in the places we need to strengthen or have more depth then we will do that.
"Ronan is the replacement for Bali. Now do we need more depth in there? I'm not sure. We seem pretty free scoring at the minute, but if the right player pops up then there will be sufficient funds to go and do something."
Cleverley is hoping Argyle can add a new centre-back 'as soon as possible', and most likely be at some point between the away game against Peterborough United on Saturday and the visit of Luton Town to Home Park on January 24.
"We are always trying to adapt to the landscape of the transfer window and you always think that Galloway is your third centre-half," said the Pilgrims' boss.
"I have to manage the balance of the team and we look more solid with Brendan at left-back, and seeing Kornel (Szucs) as a right-back, so we have only got two fit centre-halves at the minute."
Galloway is one of a number of players whose Argyle contract ends this summer, and Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Conor Hazard is in the same position.
Cleverley was asked whether there had been any discussions about extending new deals to either of those players.
He replied: "Our focus is always on the next game and obviously we have to have some planning towards next season in the background.
"Those conversations have taken place but just now we have not thought about opening contract negotiations.
"There are others, there is (Jamie) Paterson, there is (Joe) Ralls, there is (Joe) Edwards. These are all conversations we will be having in the next couple of months but right now our focus and priority - and for the players you have spoken about there - is on winning the next game."
Cleverley stated that 21-year-old goalkeeper Zak Baker was set to be loaned out to Southern League Premier Division side Plymouth Parkway.
"That one should happen, that's a three-month loan and we will have a recall on that one just in case anything happens to Luca (Ashby-Hammond) or Conor."
On the possibility of any other players leaving Argyle, Cleverley said: "At the minute there is nothing that looks solid and no real phone calls. That's where we are at."
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