It is always difficult to truly judge a player – take the Leeds United-linked youngster struggling at the wrong end of the Championship – when he is limping along in a team going nowhere fast.
Leeds United only need look across the Pennines at Liverpool – Premier League and Champions League winners under Jurgen Klopp not so long ago – to realise that relegation does not necessarily equal a bad footballer.
Liverpool snapped up Georginio Wijnaldum, Xherdan Shaqiri and Andy Robertson after they tumbled out of England’s top flight with Newcastle, Stoke City and Hull respectively.
Shaqiri and Wijnaldum would then link up to devastating fashion as Liverpool obliterated Barcelona en route to conquering Europe back in 2019. Robertson, meanwhile, can lay claim to being the finest Premier League left-back in the modern era.
Now, this is not to say Bali Mumba would go on to enjoy the same level of success at Elland Road. Leeds are interested in Daniel Farke’s ex-Norwich City starlet, Leeds United News understands, despite what is threatening to descend into a rather farcical campaign for Mumba and the rest of the Plymouth Argyle squad.
But football is littered with examples of players who bounced back from the ignominy of relegation before thriving in more glamorous surroundings.
And we don’t just mean Anfield.
Leeds United can take Liverpool inspiration amid Bali Mumba interest
Roy Keane didn’t do too badly at Manchester United after leaving Nottingham Forest for an English-record fee back in 1993.
Ditto Joe Cole at Chelsea, Harry Maguire at Leicester City, Phil Jagielka at Everton and the Leeds icon Mark Viduka at Middlesbrough.
Mumba’s campaign took a turn for the worse over the course of the last week, it must be said. The Leeds target played an unwitting role in QPR’s winner at Home Park on Saturday, a poor first touch as the last man paving the way for Rayan Kolli to strike.
Mumba was then part of a Plymouth backline breached five times in 35 minutes by a not-exactly-prolific Burnley outfit in midweek.
Yet, Farke knows there is a player in there. And so it seems do Leeds.
Mumba could be Leeds’ most versatile player since Archie Gray
Mumba was League One’s Young Player of the Year as recently as 2022/23, scoring seven goals and setting up six more as Plymouth secured promotion.
Mumba could even take on an Archie Gray sort of role in West Yorkshire should Leeds fight off reported competition from Middlesbrough. While a right-sided full-back by trade, the Sunderland academy graduate has also filled in on the left, at centre-half, in midfield or on the wing when required.
Perhaps, like with Robertson, Shaqiri, Wijnaldum and more, Bali Mumba is simply a player who needs a more settled, shiny environment in which to truly fulfil his potential.
“He’s so versatile. He can play wherever,” former Plymouth boss Steven Schumacher said as Mumba blossomed into one of the most exciting, swashbuckling wide players in the EFL a few seasons ago.
“We know he can play wing-back. He did that role last season [and] he was outstanding. I think he can play as an eight in midfield. He has got the quality to go and play in there. He can play in wide areas and he can play as a full-back.
“I know some people will say Bali’s defensive qualities isn’t his strongest point but actually his data was quite good last year.
“His defensive work was good predominantly. He had times where he did switch off and it cost us, but he was a young player and they make mistakes. That’s what happens. It’s my job to try and help him improve in those areas.”
It may soon be Daniel Farke’s job, for that matter, if Leeds succeed in rescuing Mumba from the wreckage of Plymouth’s doomed campaign.
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