Plymouth Argyle fans will question £1.5m Simon Hallett decision - it's causing a headache | OneFootball

Ghanaian midfielder Michael Baidoo might never play at Home Park again

Plymouth Argyle fans have every right to question a certain £1.5m Simon Hallett transfer decision.

Said fee, which was a well-known club record, was spent on Ghanaian midfielder Michael Baidoo back in 2025.

Hallett even referenced the move a few days later in a New Year update to supporters, writing, "I think we have already shown that commitment by breaking our transfer record again and signing Michael Baidoo."

When announced, it was also reported that Argyle tried to sign him the previous summer. So, given how much effort went into signing him, it's fair to say the move has gone badly off script.

And Argyle fans have already voiced their frustration online...

How Plymouth Argyle fans view £1.5m Simon Hallett transfer now

The issue is not just that Baidoo underperformed in the 11 Championship games he played in during 24/25, but that his future now appears detached from Plymouth’s plans for another season.

He obviously spent this season on loan at bottom-placed Umm Salal in Qatar, which the club received a six-figure sum for, but head coach Tom Cleverley has now suggested that a return to League One is unlikely because the player does not seem keen on it.

If you weren't already aware - regarding Baidoo coming back to Devon - Cleverley told Plymouth Live, ""I think it's going to be unlikely. I don't think there is much appetite from the player to return.

"He's not a player we (Cleverley and his coaching staff) know too much about, obviously. We have watched clips. It's a difficult one to see what his best position is really.

"I think I would have to see him in the flesh. How suited he would be to League One, I'm also not sure.

"I'm sure he's a great guy. He was signed for a good amount of money so he had exciting potential. It has not worked out for one reason or another.

"I wish him all the best but I don't think there is much appetite for him to play in League One for Argyle."

As a result, Plymouth fans have made their opinions about the midfielder clear on social media, with one saying that the club "shouldn’t have an appetite to pay his contract then."

Another seemingly frustrated Janner wrote, "Hasn’t got the bottle to back himself, knows that if he flops in league 1 or doesn’t get in the team then he won’t play higher again."

Once more on the "apetite" comment, another fan said he should just be sacked.

Understandably, though, if Baidoo spends another season away on loan, the danger for Plymouth is obvious in that his resale value could fall even further.

Simon Hallett's transfer headache will grow with Michael Baidoo

For Hallett specifically, this is exactly the sort of transfer that raises uncomfortable questions about recruitment and value for money.

Plymouth have pretty much always been careful with their spending, as £1.5m isn’t exactly groundbreaking stuff, so breaking the club record on a player who has barely featured and now looks unlikely to play again is a concern.

At the start of April, Hallett claimed he was being "patient" in the search for new investment at Home Park, so you can imagine the only way he’d allow Cleverley to spend decent money on transfers was if the likes of Lorent Tolaj or Bim Pepple were sold, as millions have already gone into infrastructure.