Plymouth Argyle pushing to seal new Charlton Athletic deal.

Tom Cleverley has announced that Plymouth Argyle has begun talks with Charlton Athletic about a permanent deal for Alex Mitchell.

The defender joined the Pilgrims on loan during the summer transfer window and has since established himself as a regular in the squad.The 24-year-old has appeared in 25 League One games this season, with the squad still trying to qualify for the playoffs.

The centre-back scored his first goal for the club last weekend in a 4-0 win over Blackpool, bringing them within nine points of sixth-place Huddersfield Town, despite having played one fewer game.

Mitchell had slid down the Charlton pecking order under Nathan Jones before moving to Home Park, but he still featured 31 times in the third division last season, assisting the Addicks in their promotion to the Championship.

Tom Cleverley confirms Alex Mitchell transfer talks

Cleverley has lauded Mitchell’s performance during his loan term, stressing both his positive contribution to the dressing room and his influence on the pitch.

He said that Plymouth are hoping to sign the defender permanently during the summer transfer window, adding that talks with Charlton have already begun.

“But from a cultural standpoint, he’s brilliant.”He’s a darling with the boys. “He’s at the heart of all the nonsense.

“We are having preliminary discussions; we want to make that move permanent, but there is a lot of football to be played for the rest of the season, and that is where the emphasis is.

“We’d love Mitch to be here this time next year.” Plymouth had a rough start to life in League One, but they have worked their way back up to 12th in the league.

With 15 games remaining, the distance to sixth-place Huddersfield is nine points, one more than the Terriers.

Cleverley’s side won 4-0 over the weekend, snapping their winless streak and moving them eight points clear of the relegation zone.

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