"Bargain" - Plymouth Argyle hailed for record breaking £1m deal that landed millions in profit | OneFootball

FLW's Argyle fan pundit has been speaking on what the club's biggest transfer masterstroke was.

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…

Plymouth Argyle haven't been seeing success on the pitch this season, and a lot of that has been down to their disappointing recruitment this year.

The Pilgrims are staring down the barrel of Championship relegation with just eight games to play, with Miron Muslic's side sitting rock-bottom of the second tier and six points adrift from safety.

Having lost key members of their squad this term such as goalkeeper Michael Cooper, winger Morgan Whittaker and centre-back Lewis Gibson, the club have really struggled to adequately replace their talismanic figures in the market this season.

"One of biggest profits we've ever made" - Plymouth Argyle's biggest transfer masterstroke revealed

However, struggles in the market haven't always been the case for Argyle, with the likes of Cooper, as well as key contributors such as Ryan Hardie and Bali Mumba can attest to in recent times.

We asked our Plymouth fan pundit, Chris: 'What is the biggest transfer masterstroke Argyle has ever made in your opinion, and why?'

Chris said: "Looking at Argyle's long transfer history, there are certainly some big wins and some big losses to consider.

"Overall, I think one of the biggest wins that we've had in recent times was the acquisition of Morgan Whittaker from Swansea City, for just over £1m.

"This at the time was seen as a bargain for us, although it did break our transfer record at the time, because he was able to secure 19 goals over the course of the 2023/24 season, helping us to remain in the Championship up until now.

"Not only that, when the offer came through for his sale, we were able to sell him for a profit, with the sale to Middlesbrough of just over £6m. Not only does this represent one of the biggest profits we've made out of a player, but also, it shows that we are a benefit business.

"I.e, we're able to bring in players on a low value, and then sell them highly."

Whittaker not only was one of Plymouth's all-time biggest bargains, but he's been one of their best players in recent times

Without Whittaker, Plymouth most certainly would have been plying their trade in League One this season.

His 20-goal and eight-assist campaign last term was one of the most impressive individual seasons by a Pilgrims player for a very long time, and laid the foundations for a big-time payday for the club this winter.

Whittaker's 19 Championship goals last season saw him become the closest Plymouth player to reach 20 league goals in a single season since Steve Castle's 21 during the 1993/94 campaign.

So, despite not reaching that landmark, his strikes were still worth their weight in gold, as Argyle stayed up by a single point. It wasn't just the number of times he found the net either, it was the quality of his goals too.

Long-ranged piledrivers, exquisite curling efforts, expertly timed runs into the box to latch onto crosses and even the occasional header - he could and did score every type of goal.

Accompanying his deadly finishing ability was his toolbox of tricks, as his ability to dribble past opponents as well as utilising his burst of speed to move past players with ease made him a nightmare for defenders to contain, whilst also possessing a wide range of passing too.

Whittaker had the Home Park faithful off their feet on a regular basis, and whilst the nature of his departure for Middlesbrough overshadowed his achievements as a Plymouth player for some supporters, it should never be forgotten just how excellent and important he was, and potentially financially crucial his sale may prove to be for the club.