Plymouth Argyle in talks with Blackpool to sign Michael Cooper replacement | OneFootball

The Pilgrims are still looking for a new shot-stopper after Michael Cooper left the club, and have turned to Dan Grimshaw.

Plymouth Argyle are getting closer to finding a new goalkeeper, following Michael Cooper's move to Sheffield United last week.

Alan Nixon via Patreon has reported that Wayne Rooney's side are currently locked in talks with Blackpool over the availability of Dan Grimshaw, 26.

The former Manchester City youngster has been at Bloomfield Road since 2021, but a bid in the region of £600,000 plus add-ons may force the Seasiders into a sale, according to Nixon.

Plymouth had been after Wigan Athletic's Sam Tickle, 22, but their high valuation has forced Rooney to turn in another direction, and after a solid 2023/24, in which he had 18 clean sheets, Grimshaw looks to be the new number one target.

Argyle have played their second-choice goalkeeper Conor Hazard in the opening rounds of fixtures, however, after conceding five league goals in his first two games, a solution is looking to be found sooner rather than later.

Grimshaw is unexperienced despite his age but will come good

After coming through the academy at Manchester City, it has not been the easiest ride for Grimshaw, with last season being the first in which he was entrusted as the first-choice 'keeper at a club.

He operated as the understudy to Chris Maxwell in his first two years at Blackpool, before finally becoming the number one in 2023/24 after the veteran, Maxwell, joined Huddersfield Town.

Nevertheless, his years of learning paid off last season, keeping 18 clean sheets and conceding just 47 goals in League One. Only three goalkeepers provided more shut-outs in the division, with two of those, Joe Wildsmith and Will Norris, helping their teams to promotion to the Championship.

Grimshaw was also in the top 10 for save percentages, stopping 70.3% of shots he faced, and despite his age, he is still learning after years of loan deals and U21s football while at the Premier League champions.

Rooney will also be interested in how proactive he is with his feet, as the former Birmingham City and Derby County manager likes his goalkeepers to be comfortable with the ball and start the attacks from their own box.

The 26-year-old successfully completed 62.8% of his passes, and when compared to Cooper, he does seem to be more calm and collected on the ball.

Rooney will be gutted to have missed out on Sam Tickle

Although Grimshaw is a good option, it is clear to see why Rooney was so desperate to bring Tickle to Home Park this summer.

The 22-year-old was at the top of Plymouth's radar, and reports from Football Insider said that an approach had been made to Wigan.

However, the two clubs were at polar opposite ends of their valuation, and it does look unlikely that Tickle will make the move to Devon before the August 30 deadline.

That is good news for Wigan, who will not be wanting to lose their number one goalkeeper so late in the window, especially after his incredible campaign last season.

Replacing Cooper will be hard for Plymouth to do, if not impossible due to the impact he had on the team, but the signing of Grimshaw will help and could give the Pilgrims a fighting chance at survival come May.