Plymouth close to new signings amid Ryan Hardie speculation while another Blackpool man could also be heading for the exit door

Plymouth Argyle boss Ryan Lowe says the Pilgrims are continuing to work tirelessly to improve their squad amid speculation they are about to sign Blackpool striker Ryan Hardie.

Lowe, speaking at the start of July, revealed his club were in early discussions with the Seasiders about bringing the former Rangers man to Home Park on a permanent basis.

It comes after the 23-year-old enjoyed an impressive loan spell on the south coast last season, scoring seven times in five starts and eight substitute appearances to help Plymouth clinch automatic promotion from League Two.

Lowe, who brought Hardie to Devon after watching him net a double in Blackpool’s reserve clash against Fleetwood Town, suggested his side were close to making new additions.

“As I say, we keep it in house,” the Plymouth boss said.

“We have got to make sure we get the best competitive squad we can get, which I’m sure we will.

“We are already on with that now, and further down line, and hopefully get some news in the next few days.”

Hardie, who is under contract at Bloomfield Road until 2021, with the club also holding the option to extend by a further 12 months, made the move to Blackpool from Scottish giants Rangers last summer for an undisclosed fee.

However, he struggled for game time under Simon Grayson, making just nine appearances - most of them coming off the bench or in cup competitions.

The Scot is still yet to find the mark in a league game, his one and only goal for the Seasiders coming in the 5-1 EFL Trophy win against Morecambe.

Following his prolific spell with Plymouth, Pool fans had hoped to see more of Hardie in a Blackpool shirt next season to see what he could do working under new boss Neil Critchley.

However, following the arrivals of a number of attacking players, Hardie could well be moved on with game time not guaranteed on the Fylde coast.

Another man who could be heading through the exit door is Pool winger Liam Feeney, who has recently been linked with a move away.

The 33-year-old enjoyed a remarkable campaign for the Seasiders, producing 17 assists in all competitions.

However, Feeney is thought to be on big money and with new arrivals CJ Hamilton, Oliver Sarkic and Keshi Anderson all capable of playing in his position, the former Bolton Wanderers man is another Seasider who could find game time limited next season.

The Gazette understands the club were considering letting Feeney go at the back end of last season, however the winger made a certain number of appearances to trigger a 12-month extension on his contract.