Argyle sign defender Nathanael Ogbeta

Argyle have made their first signing of the Wayne Rooney era, bringing in free agent Nathanael Ogbeta.  

Ogbeta, 23, is a pacy left-sided defender, who spent the latter stages of last season on loan at Bolton Wanderers, for whom he started the Sky Bet League One play-off final.  

Ogbeta was released by Swansea City and, following the conclusion of his contract on 30 June, will become a Pilgrim.  

Born in Salford, Nathanael began his career in the youth set-up at Manchester City, from the age of ten. He played on 12 occasions for City’s Under-21s in the EFL Trophy before departing the Etihad in January 2021. 

Ogbeta’s destination was Shrewsbury Town, of League One, for whom he played 27 times in the remainder of that season. One of those games was against Argyle, a match the Shrews won 3-0, with Ogbeta scoring the third goal. 

The following season, Ogbeta added another 33 games to his Shrews tally, catching the eye of Swansea City, who took Nathanael to South Wales for an undisclosed fee.  

Ogbeta’s time with the Swans was rather beset with injury, and he played just a handful of games. Addressing this, Ogbeta went on loan to Peterborough United, and played regularly as the Posh reached the League One play-offs in 2022/23, as well as the aforementioned loan move to Bolton last term.    

Argyle Head Coach Wayne Rooney 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.” 

Director of Football Neil Dewsnip added: “I am thrilled that Nathanael has agreed to join us and become our first signing of the summer.  

“He is someone we have been aware of for a while, after producing excellent performances for both Shrewsbury and, more recently, Bolton Wanderers.  

“He has good experience for such a young age but still has plenty of room for growth and development. He will complement our squad perfectly and we feel he will make a really positive impact at Championship level.” 

The move is subject to EFL approval and international clearance.