Plymouth Argyle have struck gold with ex-Arsenal man – Bolton and Charlton may rue not sealing deal | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle have struck gold by beating Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic to the signing of Bradley Ibrahim.

Over the summer, Plymouth Argyle managed to bring in midfielder Bradley Ibrahim for an undisclosed fee from Hertha Berlin, and it is already turning out to have been masterstroke of a transfer from the Pilgrims.

Following their relegation from the Championship last season and then the subsequently controversial departure of manager Miron Muslic to Schalke, former Watford boss Tom Cleverley was tasked with steering Plymouth back to the second-tier this season.

It had been a horror start for the Pilgrims, with four successive defeats to kick off their League One campaign, but things are beginning to turn around, with the 3-2 victory over Luton Town at Kenilworth Road at the weekend meaning that they have now suffered just one defeat inside 90 minutes in their last six matches across all competitions.

That victory over the Hatters saw Ibrahim, who began his professional career at Arsenal after starting out in Queens Park Rangers’ youth setup, starred with a brace from midfield and an excellent all-round performance as they continued to propel themselves up the League One table.

Having beaten off both Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic to his signature, it could well be that the 20-year-old could be the driving force behind Plymouth’s turnaround.

Plymouth have signed a midfield gem in Bradley Ibrahim

Last season, Ibrahim spent the campaign on loan at Crawley Town as the Red Devils suffered a fairly humbling relegation for ownership group WAGMI United.

What Crawley have been able to do in recent years is polish up rough diamonds, and they may well have started the process for Ibrahim, who looks to have the capabilities to dominate most League One matches from the middle of the park.

The rangey 6 ft 1 in central midfielder has often also been seen as a defender in the past, but as he matures, it is becoming clearer that he can pose a threat in the opposition box as a box-to-box midfielder instead.

His brace against Luton, albeit with one of the goals proving to be incredibly fortunate as it ricocheted off him and into the net, means he has already scored three goals in eight League One games this season – more than he managed for a poor Crawley side in 33 appearances last year.

The former England U18 international, who joined Hertha Berlin in the summer of 2024 but never made an appearance for the German club, is also evolving his style at Plymouth, and his potential is only growing as a result.

Bradley Ibrahim could be the driving force for Tom Cleverley's Plymouth - Charlton and Bolton may have regret

Brought in with a reputation for being a battler in midfield, with some of the best duel win rates in League One last season, Ibrahim has certainly showed those tenacious qualities during his first month down in Devon.

His ability to break up play and general energy in pressing may have led to a disjointed start to his career with players not yet at his level of intensity, but as the weeks go by, things are beginning to match up for Argyle.

As well as that, Ibrahim is beginning to show a level of quality on the ball that he perhaps didn’t for Crawley last year, able to drive Plymouth up the pitch from a central position, too, allowing for their array of wide players to stay wide and cause damage with defenders pre-occupied.

As Ibrahim grows into the player that he looks like he could be, an all-action stopper that can also cause issues for the opposition going forward, there is reason for Plymouth supporters to be excited.

It should have been seen as a coup having beaten off Bolton and Charlton, but the feeling of striking gold with his addition is only growing game-by-game, and he could well be the driving force behind Tom Cleverley’s Plymouth surging back up the third-tier table this season.