Plymouth Argyle have simple Ryan Hardie call to make as Huddersfield, Wrexham circle | OneFootball

The Scot is said to be a target for two League One promotion contenders this January

Two million pounds for a player who has failed to find the back of the net from open play in the league for over ten months? Yes please.

That is surely what Plymouth Argyle must be thinking as speculation surrounding Ryan Hardie’s future continues to rumble on, with the Scot failing to make an impact during the current campaign.

Football League World exclusively broke the news that League One promotion candidates Wrexham and Huddersfield Town are both reportedly interested in the former Blackpool man this winter, and if any offers circa £2m are put on the table, Simon Hallett will surely snap their hands off before the end of the month.

Having already seen Lewis Gibson depart for a reported £1.5 million fee to Preston North End this month, the Greens are obviously willing to cash in on their assets if the price is right, and having brought the striker in for free back in 2021, they would be making a huge profit if he leaves in January.

Plymouth Argyle must cash in as Wrexham, Huddersfield Town eye Ryan Hardie

As crucial as Hardie has proved to be over his time as a Pilgrim, the Scot has been a shadow of his former self of late, with a single goal from the penalty spot against Sunderland all he has to show for his efforts in the Championship this season.

While injuries haven’t helped his cause, Andre Gray and Michael Obafemi have both been preferred up top during the first-half of the campaign, with the last time he found the back of the net from open play in the second tier being back in February, in a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough at The Riverside.

While the 27-year-old cannot be faulted for his willingness to chase balls into the channels and cause problems for defenders, his lack of clinical edge has come back to haunt Argyle over the past 12 months, with last season’s scrape with relegation followed up by another battle at the bottom this time around.

He can bound around until the cows come home, but what Hardie lacks is the intricacies to become a top-class operator; the cohesion with his teammates, the knack of sniffing out an opportunity and burying it with clinical precision at the first opportunity.

In truth, that is something Argyle as a whole have been lacking for a while now, but if they were given a seven-figure fee to use to their advantage this winter, they should be looking for someone with the qualities to add to their forward line, especially with the loss of Gray earlier in the month.

Plymouth Argyle strike force needs to be added to before Ryan Hardie can depart

If Hardie is to leave the club in the coming weeks, it won’t be before Argyle have assessed their options in the transfer window, and made a decision about which targets to pursue ahead of the second-half of the campaign.

With Gray leaving Home Park, the currently managerless Greens have just Michael Obafemi as an out-and-out striker at their disposal, although new record signing Michael Baidoo [pictured] can also play further forward if needed.

Freddie Issaka is yet to live up to the expectations cast upon him by an expectant Green Army, with the academy graduate still a little rough around the edges for the trials and tribulations of Championship football, while Muhamed Tijani continues to work his way back from a hamstring issue.

Argyle have previously been linked to Liverpool starlet Jayden Danns, and a loan deal for the striker would offer another option up top, while additional funds could still be available if Hardie does indeed depart.

With just 24 goals scored all season to date, it is in the final third that the Greens need to kick into gear on a regular basis, and a new, confident front man could be the difference between relegation and survival come the end of the campaign.

Argyle have had great joy scouting further afield in recent seasons, and if they can find another gem from the continent in the coming weeks, or even a bargain buy from these shores, they would happily wave Hardie off and thank him for the memories, for he has played as big a part as anyone in their rise to the second tier over the past five years.

Sometimes you have to know when to say goodbye though, and as things look to be drawing towards their natural conclusion, Argyle have the perfect opportunity to cash in on a player who has struggled to be at his best for close to a year.

Under Hallett, this is a football club that is aiming to be run sustainably, and that means cashing in when the time is right. For Hardie, that time is now: £2 million, signed, sealed, delivered.