Plymouth Argyle transfer news won’t surprise Frank Lampard at Coventry City | OneFootball

Jamie Paterson has been released by Plymouth Argyle after failing to impress, similar to his time at Coventry City last season

Plymouth Argyle's retained list at the end of this season indicates that Tom Cleverley's side will be undergoing a bit of a refresh heading into their second year back in League One.

The Pilgrims missed out on a place in the top six on the final day, despite squeezing into that final play-off spot heading into the 90th minute.

In the end, two late goals from Stevenage and Luton Town in their games against Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers, respectively, meant they finished eighth. After a terrible start where they propped up the division in November, it resembles a brilliant end to the campaign, but there's still a lot to do this summer.

10 players were released from their contracts, and while some of those, like Nathanael Ogbeta and Callum Wright, spent the campaign away from Home Park on loan, some squad players were also let go.

Jamie Paterson was one, and arguably, perhaps other than Brendan Galloway, the most high-profile of the lot, given his pedigree in the EFL.

The 34-year-old has lost his way in recent times, though, and Frank Lampard and the higher-ups at Coventry City won't be surprised to see him once again become a free agent this summer.

Jamie Paterson's decline started with a short-term move to Coventry City last season

In the 2023/24 campaign, Paterson had seemingly returned to his best at Swansea City. He played in all but two Championship games, scored seven goals and assisted a further six.

Despite being offered a new deal in South Wales, he didn't agree on terms and would move stateside at the culmination of his deal, signing for Dean Smith's Charlotte FC on a deal which ran until the end of the 2024 MLS season.

After just four substitute appearances to end the season and no appearances in the play-offs, he would once again become a free agent in November 2024, and he remained that way for four months before he found himself back in the Championship with play-off-challenging Coventry.

He signed a deal until the end of the season, as Frank Lampard looked to add some competition and depth to his side ahead of the final few months of the campaign.

It was clear, though, that he was never in contention to break into the starting eleven, playing just 73 minutes across eight substitute appearances, and failing to get off the bench in either leg of the play-off semi-final defeat against Sunderland.

He was on the move again last summer, but he still held plenty of credit in the bank as a solid engine room operator for a mid-table Championship side. Therefore, freshly-relegated Plymouth made sure to tie him down to a contract just 10 days after Coventry were beaten in the play-offs.

Jamie Paterson couldn't get going at Plymouth Argyle, and he'll once again be looking for a new club this summer

Some critics felt that Paterson wasn't dealt a fair hand at the CBS Arena, and he should have been given more of an opportunity to impress during his short time in Frank Lampard's side.

Plenty felt he was still at the level to play for a second-tier side, so when Plymouth signed him, many believed he could play an important part in their push to secure immediate promotion back to the Championship. However, the opposite rang true.

An early injury didn't help his chances, as after just two league games, he'd be missing for over a month with a calf injury. It would take him until late October to make his first third-tier start for the Pilgrims, which came in the Devon Derby defeat against Exeter City.

After that, he'd wait even longer for his next start, a loss against Bradford City, and that would be followed by a run of 10 league games without playing, whether that be due to being an unused substitute or not even being selected for the squad at all.

He'd be used a lot more in 2026, but overall, he'd make just seven starts in League One this season, which definitely wouldn't have been what many expected when he made the move in the summer, and now, for the third off-season in a row, he's out of contract and looking for a new club.

At 34, Paterson is approaching the twilight of his career, and while he does still have a lot to bring in terms of experience, it seems like his days starting for a club in the Championship or even a top club in League One are behind him.

It'll be intriguing to see where he lands for next season, but either way, Frank Lampard won't be surprised to see him on the move again.