Luke Cundle joins Plymouth Argyle on season-long loan from Wolves

The 21-year-old midfielder trained with the Pilgrims today and could feature in the Carabao Cup first round tie against Leyton Orient

at Home Park tomorrow night.

Plymouth Argyle’s newest signing, 21-year-old midfielder Luke Cundle, has been described as ‘Championship proven’ by assistant

manager Mark Hughes.

Cundle trained with the Pilgrims’ squad for the first time at Harper’s Park this morning after joining on a season-long loan from

Premier League club Wolves.

The attacking midfielder also spent last term on loan in the Championship, making 21 starts and 11 substitute appearances for Russell

Martin’s Swansea City.

Cundle ‘could be in the reckoning’ according to Hughes to play in Argyle’s Carabao Cup first round tie against Leyton Orient at Home Park tomorrow (7.45pm).

He has become the Pilgrims’ ninth signing of the summer and adds to the strong competition for places in midfield, alongside Matt Butcher, Jordan Houghton, Adam Randell, Lewis Warrington and Callum Wright.

On Cundle, Hughes said: “He played 30-odd games for Swansea last year and he’s Championship

proven. He will give us good depth to the squad, what we need.

“I have seen him train today and he’s a good hungry player, wants to do well and can handle the

ball. If you play for a Russell Martin team you are generally going to be able to handle a ball.

“He has come in and is a good acquisition to a good, hungry squad we have got. He’s an attacking midfielder, he’s technically really good.

“He will just add another dimension to us in the midfield area. He will have to earn the right to get in the team but I’m sure he will come in and be fine.”

Hughes added: “We don’t just bring players in, they have got to be good enough. He’s a name that popped up and we saw him play a couple of times at Swansea last year and thought he would be a good fit for us.”

Argyle are becoming a popular club for higher level clubs to send out young players on loan, given the development they make under manager Steven Schumacher and his staff.

Finn Azaz, Bali Mumba and Morgan Whittaker all excelled on loan during the 2022/23 League One title triumph and have returned to Home Park this summer.

Hughes said: “Bali wanted to come back, Morgan wanted to come back, Finn Azaz did. Straight away it tells you that you must be doing something right, as a club and as a staff.

“We don’t just get players in for playing sake, we are doing it to make us better and I’m sure these lads will.”

Azaz and Kaine Kesler-Hayden are both on season-long loans from Aston Villa, while Cundle has joined from Wolves, who let Argyle have Dutch defender Nigel Lonwijk on a similar basis last term.

Hughes said: “Those clubs are giving us their players for a reason because they believe we develop them. We had Nigel from Wolves last year who was superb, and they are probably thinking the same with Luke.

“It’s good to have these relationships with clubs. We are going to develop them in the right way and they know they are going to play the right way.

“They will not only get back to their clubs better players but better people as well,” added the Pilgrims’ assistant manager.

Cundle has made four appearances for Wolves in the Premier League, the last one coming as a late substitute in a 5-1 home defeat by Manchester City in May 2022.