Summer contract decision will split Plymouth Argyle faithful | OneFootball

Mustapha Bundu's deal is up this summer, and the Greens have a big decision to make regarding their forward

Plymouth Argyle have a number of players out of contract this summer, with Simon Hallett and his chiefs needing to make some big decisions about the futures of certain stars.

Jordan Houghton and Julio Pleguezuelo are two names that could be seeing their time at Home Park come to an end if nothing changes, while academy graduates Zak Baker and Will Jenkins-Davies also have less than six months on their current deals.

Mustapha Bundu is the other player who could well become a free agent on July 1 if things stay as they are, with the Sierra Leone international coming towards the end of his two-year deal signed in the summer of 2023.

While his commitment to the cause cannot be faulted, many a manager have struggled to fit the frontman into the team during his time in green, and the Green Army will likely be in two minds about any decision about his future this summer.

Mustapha Bundu decision looms for Simon Hallett, Miron Muslic and Plymouth Argyle

Having started each of the previous seven Argyle matches in all competitions, Bundu is currently experiencing his longest spell in the starting lineup during is time in Devon, which may say as much about the options available to Muslic as it does about anything else.

Before then, the former Anderlecht man had started just 23 matches after joining 18 months ago, with a mixture of injuries and lack of form keeping him out of first-team action more often than not.

The 28-year-old is something of an enigma when it comes to his best position, having been tried out on either flank since moving to England, as well as in a deeper forward position, while Muslic currently uses him as a target man up top.

In truth, it is hard to say where he has excelled the most, with sporadic scintillating displays perforated with indifferent performances that have left Janners pondering his ability at Championship level.

Coming up to Christmas, there was an argument that he was one of the standout players in a poor Pilgrims side, with a goal and an assist capping off a terrific performance against Middlesbrough, in which he ran the visitors’ defence ragged down the right-hand side.

But with Ryan Hardie and Michael Obafemi on the sidelines of late, Muslic has been forced to roll the dice with Bundu playing up top, flanked by the energy of Callum Wright and Rami Al Hajj behind, with Hardie doing similar when fit and available.

A well-taken goal in the 5-1 victory over Millwall is proof of his ability when given a chance in front of goal, while a lovely knock-down for Muhamed Tijani to get his first goal for the club against Cardiff City last time out also proved his worth, but whether he has done enough to secure another deal at Home Park remains to be seen.

Some of the Green Army would welcome Mustapha Bundu deal

While his performances can be subject to scrutiny at times, there is no doubting the effect that Bundu has had on the Green Army, with the forward earning status as something of a cult hero at Home Park over the past 18 months.

While manager after manager ponders his best position on the pitch, the onlooking Janners would surely welcome an extension to their frontman’s deal, given his attitude and dedication to all things green during his time at the club.

We are coming up to 12 months on from one of the crowning moments of last season’s Championship campaign, where Bundu stormed away from the Leicester City defence before curling home an effort to give Argyle a 1-0 win over the promotion-bound Foxes, with that result still etched into many an Argyle fan’s heart.

That unlikely victory gave the Greens the impetus to rally to an unlikely survival bid at the end of the season, with Joe Edwards’ winner against Hull City on the final day of the season ensuring second tier football would be played at Home Park for another year at least.

That moment gave a rarely-seen Bundu plenty of credit in the bank heading into the current campaign, and although he has frustrated at times, he looks set to be one of the players that the Pilgrims are pinning their hopes on in the final stretch of the season, with Muslic’s direct playing style seeing his physicality required in a different way to before.

With the likes of Sheffield United and Leeds United still to come to Home Park before the end of the campaign, the forward could well seize his moment once again in the months to come, as the Green Army hope to recreate the joy of last season in earning survival.

If he steps up between now and then, there would be plenty willing to offer Bundu a contact extension at Home Park, but if the in-and-out performances continue, he could well be looking for a new club come July.