Plymouth Argyle star has been 'a shadow of the player he was' - 'I've got a sneaky feeling' over Home Park transfer exit | OneFootball

One Plymouth Argyle player has been predicted to leave the club in January

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

One Plymouth Argyle player has been predicted to leave the club in January, with Tom Cleverley's side facing the feared threat of suffering consecutive relegations from the Championship right down to League Two.

The Pilgrims suffered relegation from the Championship last season, which saw a number of their key operators exit Home Park as a result. Included in this list were Ryan Hardie, Maksym Talovierov and Mustapha Bundu, whilst manager Miron Muslic also moved on to pastures new.

The 2025/26 season hasn’t been kind to Argyle, as instead of fighting to achieve promotion straight back up to the second-tier, they have spent most of their time scrapping in the relegation zone.

New boss Tom Cleverley came under sustained criticism from supporters, which has led to a less-than-optimal atmosphere inside of Home Park. With this rapid decrease in performance levels, a number of players could pursue exits in the January window.

Bali Mumba predicted to leave Plymouth Argyle

It won’t be lost on everyone at Plymouth Argyle how devastating successive relegations would be, as it would see them playing League Two football less than two years after operating out of the Championship.

This could lead to some drastic action in January, where a number of new players may be brought in to freshen up the squad. To make this happen, some of the Pilgrims’ existing operators might be moved on.

When queried on who could leave Home Park this winter, Football League World’s Plymouth Argyle fan pundit, Luke Hodge, highlighted one player in particular who may be fed up of the side’s lack of competitiveness and may be looking for an exit soon.

“I do have a sneaky suspicion that Bali Mumba may move on sooner rather than later.

“He's been a shadow of the player he was League One last time, which is understandable given how poor Argyle have been. He looks a little bit lost, really a little bit down.

“It may be best for all parties if he was to move on, either in January or the summer, just to freshen things up for him.

“I don't think we'll lose money on Bali, but I don't think we'll make much either. I've just got that sneaky feeling that he may be one that might well move on, and it may even make way for one or two to come in.”

Bali Mumba may feel ready to move on from Plymouth Argyle

A lot of Plymouth Argyle’s best players from the past few years departed last summer following their relegation to League One, such as Hardie and Bundu, as they were clearly capable of performing at a higher level.

Mumba watched on as his teammates left, choosing to remain at Home Park. This hasn’t proven to be an excellent choice and one he could look to remedy in the upcoming transfer window.

The 24-year-old has proven himself capable of competing at the second-tier level which could bring forward a number of interested Championship parties if he is put up for sale and he may feel ready to compete at that level once more.

However, Plymouth are facing a battle to remain in League One and need to keep their top players. Although Mumba hasn’t been performing at his best this term, it could be a foolish move for the Pilgrims to let him go in January.

There is, mind you, the consideration that, as outlined, a potential exit for Mumba could pave the way for fresh incomings. Whether Plymouth would be able to recruit anybody of a similar quality, though, considering the club's current predicament, is another question entirely.