Sheffield Wednesday should join Leeds United in transfer race for Plymouth Argyle man | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle defender Bali Mumba is reportedly attracting interest from Leeds United, but Sheffield Wednesday should also join the race.

After a quiet January transfer window so far, Sheffield Wednesday supporters will be hoping for a busy end to the month at Hillsborough.

Wednesday narrowly avoided relegation from the Championship last season, but after making significant progress under manager Danny Rohl this campaign, they have emerged as surprise promotion contenders.

The Owls currently sit 11th in the table, just four points from the play-off places, but their form has faltered in recent weeks, and they have now won just one of their last six league games after being held to a 2-2 draw by Bristol City on Wednesday night.

The game against the Robins highlighted the lack of depth in the Wednesday squad and the need for reinforcements before the end of the window, and after journalist Alan Nixon claimed that Rohl and owner Dejphon Chansiri have resolved their dispute, there will likely be some new arrivals in the coming weeks.

Chansiri had confirmed at last week's explosive fan forum that he had not spoken to Rohl since December, and he refused to initiate a meeting with the German over potential transfer targets, but those discussions have now taken place, and the Owls owner is set to provide funds for signings.

Strengthening the defence should be a priority for Sheffield Wednesday

According to Nixon, there is a "pot of cash" available for Rohl to bring in a striker, and given the ongoing struggles of Ike Ugbo and Jamal Lowe and the possible departure of Michael Smith to Wrexham, a new number nine could certainly help to boost Wednesday's promotion hopes, but it is not the only position in need of strengthening.

The Owls have conceded an alarming 45 league goals this season, with only Portsmouth, Luton Town and Plymouth Argyle conceding more, and their defensive vulnerabilities have been incredibly costly in recent weeks.

Wednesday have conceded at least two goals in each of their last six league games, and their defending in the draw against Bristol City in midweek certainly left a lot to be desired, so the addition of at least one new centre-back this month would be useful for Rohl's side.

However, Marvin Johnson has also come in for criticism for some uncertain performances at left wing-back over the past few months, and one player that the Owls could look at to replace him is Plymouth Argyle's Bali Mumba, who is believed to be on the radar of Leeds United.

Mumba initially joined the Pilgrims on loan from Norwich City in July 2022, and after he helped them to the League One title in the 2022-23 season, the move was made permanent the following summer for a fee of around £1 million, which equalled Argyle's transfer record at the time.

The 23-year-old, who is capable of playing on either side of the defence, has started all but two league games for Plymouth so far this season, but they could be vulnerable to losing him before the deadline.

Leeds United News claim that the Whites sent a scout to watch Mumba in action in Argyle's 1-0 win at Brentford in the FA Cup earlier this month as the club weigh up whether to make a bid, but Wednesday should attempt to steal a march on the league leaders.

Bali Mumba could be the perfect Marvin Johnson upgrade for Sheffield Wednesday

Johnson has been an outstanding servant for Wednesday since joining the club on a free transfer from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2021, helping them to promotion from League One in the 2022-23 campaign and playing a crucial role in their survival in the Championship last season after being brought back into the fold by Rohl.

Some of the criticism Johnson has received of late has been a little harsh, but it is fair to say that there has been a decline in his performances, and with his contract set to expire in the summer, the Owls have a big decision to make.

There is an argument to say that, as an experienced Championship player, Wednesday should keep Johnson around for another year, even if his game time will be a little more limited, but he is now 34 years of age, and Rohl will surely be considering bringing in a younger option to perform the left wing-back role.

With that in mind, Mumba could be the ideal long-term replacement for Johnson, and while a move to Leeds would be an attractive proposition for the former Norwich man, Hillsborough could be a much more sensible destination for him.

Mumba would face competition from the likes of Jayden Bogle, Junior Firpo, Sam Byram and Isaac Schmidt in the full-back areas at Elland Road, and as Whites manager Daniel Farke deploys a back four, there are question marks over whether he would be able to thrive in that formation.

In contrast, Mumba would be perfectly suited to Rohl's wing-back system as it would enable him to showcase his attacking quality, and having scored nine goals and provided 12 assists in 124 games for Plymouth, he can certainly be a threat to opposition defences.

Some may question the wisdom of signing a defender from a side that has conceded 60 league goals this season, but it would be unfair to blame Mumba for Argyle's problems, and the fact that he is attracting interest from a club like Leeds shows just how highly he is rated.