New Wrexham AFC transfer update is no surprise - Plymouth Argyle must be on red alert | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle should make a move for former striker Ryan Hardie in January amid uncertainty over his future at Wrexham.

It has been a nightmare season for Plymouth Argyle in League One so far, and the January transfer window could be crucial to their chances of avoiding a second consecutive relegation.

After suffering relegation from the Championship last season, Plymouth were widely tipped to challenge for promotion in League One this campaign under the guidance of Tom Cleverley, but it certainly has not worked out that way so far.

Cleverley has been under serious pressure in recent weeks, but despite former manager Derek Adams returning to Home Park as director of football, which many believed put his position under threat, it seems the 36-year-old retains the backing of the Pilgrims' hierarchy for now.

After a run of six straight defeats in all competitions, Argyle picked up a much-needed 1-0 victory at Port Vale on Saturday to move off the bottom of the table, but they are still one point from safety ahead of this weekend's crucial home game against Northampton Town.

While Plymouth will be looking to pull clear of danger over the busy winter period, the January window could be a decisive month in their season, and one player who should be on their radar is former striker Ryan Hardie.

Ryan Hardie set for possible Wrexham exit in January amid Phil Parkinson snub

As expected, Plymouth lost a number of their stars in the summer following relegation, and Hardie was one of those who departed to join newly-promoted Championship side Wrexham.

Due to a relegation release clause in his Argyle contract, the Red Dragons paid a fee of just £700,000 for Hardie, and given that he had reached double figures for goals in each of the previous two seasons in the second tier, the deal looked like something of a bargain for the Welsh outfit.

However, Hardie has scored just one goal in nine appearances for Wrexham so far, and that strike came in the EFL Cup victory at Preston North End back in August, with his game time in the league proving to be incredibly limited.

Hardie featured in the Championship for the first time since mid-September as he came on as a late substitute in his side's 0-0 draw at Ipswich Town on Saturday, but with the likes of Kieffer Moore and Sam Smith ahead of him in the pecking order, it seems unlikely he will receive regular minutes any time soon.

As he continues to be overlooked by manager Phil Parkinson, Hardie is considering a move away from the SToK Cae Ras in January, as FLW exclusively revealed on Monday, and that should put a number of clubs on alert ahead of the winter window, including his former employers Plymouth.

Plymouth Argyle should target ambitious Ryan Hardie reunion in January

Plymouth were prolific scorers during their previous stint in League One, but they have found goals much harder to come by this time around, with Cleverley's men netting just 19 times in their 16 league games so far this season.

Lorent Tolaj has been one of the shining lights for the Pilgrims since his summer move from Port Vale, scoring nine goals in 16 appearances in all competitions, but it is fair to say he has shouldered much of the goalscoring burden for his side.

Argyle brought in two other strikers during the summer window in Owen Oseni and Aribim Pepple, but they have scored just seven goals between them this season, and of those goals, only three have come in the league.

Hardie scored 13 goals in 44 games during Plymouth's League One title-winning campaign in the 2022-23 season before hitting 12 and 10 goals respectively in his two years in the Championship, so there is no doubt that the 28-year-old would add significant firepower to Cleverley's forward line, and he could form a potentially lethal partnership with Tolaj.

With the Pilgrims currently languishing in the relegation zone, there are question marks over whether Hardie would be willing to return to Home Park, while it remains to be seen whether the club would be able to afford a deal financially.

Despite his underwhelming spell at Wrexham, Hardie has proven himself at Championship level previously, so there is a chance that second tier clubs could come in for him in January, while top-end League One sides will almost certainly be chasing his signature if he becomes available, which would make it tough for Argyle to win the race.

However, Hardie would not only massively improve Plymouth's attack, but the return of the Scot, who was a firm fan favourite in Devon, could help to bring some of the feel-good factor back to the club after a tough few months, so owner Simon Hallett should do whatever it takes to strike a deal with the Red Dragons when the window opens.