Plymouth Argyle may be forced to act quickly if they are to win the race for defender Alex Mitchell, with reports that League One rivals Wycombe Wanderers have submitted a bid to Charlton Athletic.
The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at the Pilgrims, where he made 48 appearances across all competitions. He became a huge hit with fans and picked up the Supporters’ Player of the Season.
Plymouth boss Tom Cleverley was a huge fan of the centre-back and made it clear at the end of the campaign that he would be keen to explore a deal to bring him back this summer. However, his form in England’s third tier over the past few seasons has seen him become hot property.
Mitchell Race Heats Up
Mitchell first dropped into League One during the 2023/24 campaign when he joined Lincoln City on a season-long deal from then-parent club Millwall. His performances at the LNER Stadium saw him land a permanent transfer to Charlton.
The former Leyton Orient loanee soon nailed down a starting berth in the heart of the Addicks’ defence, although lost his place towards the end of the season. Charlton eventually secured promotion to the Championship via the play-offs, although Mitchell was an unused substitute in both semi-final ties and the final at Wembley Stadium.
Regular first team football followed at Plymouth and it is expected that he will depart The Valley this summer. Oxford United have already been linked with a move, but it is Wycombe that have reportedly made the first enquiry.
According to journalist Richard Cawley, the Chairboys ‘have tabled an offer’, although the size of the bid is unspecified. Manager Michael Duff is keen to strengthen his back line as he looks to push towards the top six following an 11th-placed finish last season.
Wycombe May Force Plymouth Hand
Plymouth will head into the new season with only one thing in mind – promotion. It took a while for Cleverley to find his feed following his appointment last summer, but an exceptionally strong second half of the campaign saw them miss out on a place in the top six by just two points.
Mitchell played a huge role in their resurgence and Wycombe’s bid may force the Pilgrims into action. If the head coach is still keen to bring the defender back to the club, they may need to act fast.
It is unclear as to whether the current offer has been deemed acceptable by Charlton. It’ll also be interesting to see whether this brings other clubs to the name, namely Oxford.
