Transfer Talk

THERE may still be over a week until the January transfer window opens, but Argyle manager Ryan Lowe has all-but secured his first signing.

“We have one deal agreed in principle, but one or two might move on before that. We have had freedom to bring one in, at the moment, and we’ll look to add on from there,” said Lowe.

The Pilgrims’ gaffer would not be drawn on the name of the player, but that the deal is pretty well in place.

Despite the Greens’ early movement in the window, Lowe feels that he is unlikely to make wholesale changes to the squad – prioritising quality over quantity.

“We have a list of targets, but they’re not just going to come for the sake of it because, as I’ve said before, we’ve got a good squad – a squad I believe in,” said Lowe.  

“Do I want more goals in the squad? One hundred per cent - that’s a known fact, it’s there to be seen. Do I believe one of our strikers can get me those goals? Yeah. Do I believe it could be someone from outside who we are potentially looking at to come and get the goals? One hundred per cent, yeah.”

Despite his apparent desire to strengthen at the sharp end of the Greens’ attack, Lowe was at pains to point out that the Pilgrims’ playing budget is a finite resource, and that the club would not spend beyond its means to attract talent to join the ranks.

“We know the areas that we’re looking at, but that depends on potential fringe players moving on,” said Lowe. “You’re talking about clubs in [financial] situations – this club will never be in that situation. My chairman [Simon Hallett] would never allow it, the CEO [Andrew Parkinson] would never allow it, and I certainly won’t allow it. I will only bring people in that I can afford to bring in.

“Lots of people may think that because we’ve got this new stand that we can go and spend £1 million on a new striker, but that’s not the case. Will there be funds to be spent, if I was to ask the chairman? I don’t know, we haven’t had the conversation as yet, but I’m sure he’d back me like he’s backed me since the start of the season.”

Complexity in the transfer market is added, as far as Lowe is concerned, by the number of games between now and January 1. With three games to be played up to and including New Year’s Day, players on the fringes of the first-team could get the opportunity to rekindle their season at Home Park.

“It’s hard, isn’t it, at Christmas time, there’s loads of games. We’ve got three games in seven days, and lads who are potentially not in the team could be used,” said Lowe. “Then, all of a sudden, they play a few games, they’re flying, and I’m thinking ‘I don’t need that position now.’ So, it’s a bit up in the air – but we have the targets in the positions where we feel we can strengthen.

“The targets will remain in house, because it’s not fair on the squad that we’ve got. It will only be players coming in that can make us better, there won’t be anyone coming in just to add numbers.”