Plymouth Argyle have announced their first arrival of the Wayne Rooney era, with former Swansea City man Nathanael Ogbeta joining the club once his contract in Wales expires at the end of June.

That arrival will not have gone unnoticed by a trio of Championship clubs said to be in the mix for another Argyle player, who like Ogbeta plays on the left side of defence.

Portsmouth, Preston North End and Oxford United are reportedly interested in bringing Argyle full-back Mickel Miller in this summer, according to Football Insider, and with the addition to the ranks at Home Park, it could pave the way for his exit in the coming weeks.

The former Rotherham United man is out of contract this summer, and with no news coming out of Devon about an extension to his deal, Thursday’s update will only add fuel to the fire surrounding his departure.

Nathanael Ogbeta joins Wayne Rooney at Plymouth Argyle as first summer signing

Ogbeta joins Argyle after being released by Swansea City at the end of his contract, with the full-back spending the second-half of the previous campaign on loan at League One Bolton Wanderers.

The pacy left-sided star has played for a number of EFL clubs since breaking through at the Manchester City academy, with Shrewsbury Town and Peterborough United among his former sides.

Despite a number of injuries affecting his time with the Swans, new boss Rooney was delighted to get the deal over the line in his first week as Argyle boss.

He said: “Nathanael joins us from good pedigree having come through the ranks at Manchester City, and he has also had successful spells at Bolton and Shrewsbury.

“He comes to Argyle looking to take the step up to Championship level on a consistent basis, and we believe he has all the attributes to do that and become a pivotal member of the squad.

“He is quick, good on the ball and provides balance on the left side of defence. I’m sure the fans will enjoy watching him play and I look forward to welcoming him to Plymouth Argyle when we return to pre-season at the beginning of July.”

The arrival of a pacy full-back will lead to the belief that Rooney [pictured above] will continue to implement the system of three central defenders for next season; a style of play that has earned Argyle plenty of success in the past.

Nathanael Ogbeta signing paves the way for Mickel Miller summer exit

Ogbeta’s role as a pacy left-sided defender who will maraud up and down the flanks sees him fit the exact same attributes as Miller, who now looks set to leave Home Park this summer.

The 28-year-old is said to have Championship new boys Portsmouth and Oxford United chasing his signature, as well as Preston North End, who are managed by former Argyle boss Ryan Lowe.

Although director of football Neil Dewsnip assured fans that contract talks with the full-back were progressing last month, this latest bit of information seems to suggest that he could be on his way to pastures new once his current deal comes to an end.

Having joined the Pilgrims in the summer of 2022, Miller has gone on to feature 49 times while at Home Park, although his time on the pitch has largely been affected by injury.

With only nine league games under his belt in the successful League One campaign in 22/23, the full-back regained fitness ahead of the most recent Championship season, where he tormented many a second tier defender with his swashbuckling runs down the left flank.

Pompey and North End have managers that favour their full-backs bombing forward and supporting attacks, and Miller is a player who fits the bill in that regard, and if he keeps fit they would have a top player on their hands.

With the trio of interested clubs seemingly given the green light for a summer transfer after the Ogbeta news, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Miller’s future decided within the coming weeks with plenty of interest in his services.