Plymouth Argyle: 3 potential Michael Cooper replacements plymonth are highly considering
- Sam Tickle could be a top choice for Plymouth Argyle, impressing as Wigan’s goalkeeper with similar stats to Cooper.
- Elyh Harrison, a young talent from Manchester United, could be another hidden gem for Argyle if Cooper leaves the club.
- Nathan Baxter from Bolton Wanderers, a reliable goalkeeper with playmaking skills, is another option for Argyle to consider.
Michael Cooper’s future at Plymouth Argyle continues to be one of the main talking points at Home Park this summer, with the goalkeeper earning himself plenty of admirers during his time with the Devon outfit.
With the news that the shot-stopper won’t be extending his contract with the Greens past next summer, there has been plenty of interest in the 24-year-old’s services during the off-season.
Sheffield United and Crystal Palace are both said to be looking at the Argyle academy graduate, with Alan Nixon of The Sun claiming that the Greens have put a £3 million price tag on his head.
With that in mind, Wayne Rooney’s side will be contemplating replacements for their number one if he does depart before the end of August, and here are three potential recruits that could fill the void in the weeks to come.
Sam Tickle
Wigan Athletic number one Sam Tickle has proven himself to be a top performer for the Latics after emerging through the academy at the club, with the 22-year-old earning international recognition at youth level.
The goalkeeper was an ever-present for Athletic in the previous campaign, and conceded just 56 goals across the season, keeping 14 clean sheets in the process.
If you compare the figures to Cooper’s 21/22 League One campaign – the last in which he played a full season – in which he was the same age as Tickle, the numbers are quite similar, with Tickle’s save percentage (72.9%) just shy of Cooper’s 74.2%.
| Sam Tickle 2023/24 League One stats as per FBRef | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 46 |
| Goals conceded | 56 |
| Clean sheets | 14 |
| Saves | 137 |
| Save percentage (%) | 72.9 |
With a number of Premier League clubs said to be tracking the Latics’ star man, it could take some tempting for Tickle to make the move to Devon, but with the transfer fee recouped for Cooper, Argyle could let the money do the talking in their pursuit of another one of the country’s leading custodians.
Athletic won’t be letting their glovesman leave on the cheap, but with a potential cash windfall coming their way, Argyle could be quite an unprecedented position of having cash to splash if Cooper, and Morgan Whittaker, do depart the club.
Elyh Harrison
Argyle have earned themselves a reputation for finding hidden gems in the transfer market of late, and making the most of their services for a year with their extensive use of the loan market.
The likes of Whittaker, Bali Mumba, Finn Azaz and Luke Cundle have all propelled their careers with stints at Home Park, and the Greens could return to their tried and tested method in the transfer market if Cooper does depart.
With Premier League clubs always looking for their young talents to go out on loan, Rooney could use his links to Manchester United to stake a claim for young Elyh Harrison, who has impressed for the Red Devils in the youth ranks at Old Trafford. Having joined from Stevenage as a scholar, Harrison earned himself the Player of the Year accolade for the youth side last season, with his shot-stopping matched by his impressive distribution and composure with the ball at his feet.
That has been a major factor in Cooper’s time at Home Park, with how assured he is in possession, helping Argyle build attacks from the back, and contributing to their fearless style of play when everything clicks into place.
Although yet to be tested in the professional game, the 18-year-old definitely has a bright future ahead of him, and could be a shrewd acquisition for the year ahead.
Nathan Baxter
Dipping back into League One, and Nathan Baxter has impressed since making the permanent move to Bolton Wanderers last summer, having left Premier League outfit Chelsea.
After numerous loan spells away from the Blues, the 25-year-old has flourished since setting up sticks in the north west, despite missing some of the season through injury.
With 14 clean sheets from his 33 matches for the Trotters, Baxter more than played his part in taking Wanderers to the third tier playoff final last season, before missing out in the Wembley showdown to Oxford United.
As a result, Argyle could capitalise on a situation that sees a top goalkeeper plying his trade in the division below, with Baxter likely wanting to play at the highest possible level.
Having helped equal a club-record of seven consecutive clean sheets earlier in the season, Baxter is a player who can be relied upon between the sticks, while Ian Evatt’s philosophy is always going to focus on a ball-playing goalkeeper.
Argyle, like Bolton, thrive off a presence between the sticks who can contribute while in possession, and if they do gain some extra funds this summer, a move for the former Chelsea man could put the Green Army at ease.
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