"Crazy offers" - Wayne Rooney issues Morgan Whittaker, Plymouth Argyle stance amid Brentford & Wolves interest | OneFootball

The Argyle boss is determined to keep hold of his top talent this summer despite interest from top European sides

Plymouth Argyle boss Wayne Rooney is not surprised by the fact that top European clubs have come back in for Morgan Whittaker this summer following interest in the forward in January.

Football Insider reported yesterday that five clubs across Europe were all said to be interested in the left-footed star, with Premier League duo Wolves and Brentford said to be among those keeping tabs on the Pilgrims attacker.

La Liga outfit Celta Vigo, Bundesliga runners-up Stuttgart, and Serie A side Lazio are also said to be monitoring the winger, with the latter having an £8.5 million bid repelled six months ago.

The former Swansea City man netted 19 times in the Championship to help keep Argyle afloat in the second tier in the previous campaign, as he quickly gathered a reputation as one of the hottest prospects in the Football League.

Whittaker became the Pilgrims’ club-record signing last summer, having made the move from Swansea in a £1 million move, after an impressive loan spell while the Devon outfit were in League One.

Upon his return to Home Park, the 23-year-old continued to impress, with his match-defining contributions seeing him contribute towards 27 goals across the campaign as Argyle avoided relegation on the final day of the season.

That red-hot form saw the Greens star attract plenty of interest from top clubs in the January transfer window, with Brentford and Fulham said to be keen on that occasion, as well as the aforementioned Lazio bid.

The Home Park side were said to be holding out for £15 million if any club was going to prise their star away from the club, and six months on, that position doesn’t seem to have changed.

When questioned on the speculation surrounding Whittaker, Argyle boss Rooney said: “Firstly, Morgan is a fantastic player, as we seen last season, but he's a really good human being as well. I played with him.

"Actually after Covid, when you could go back in groups of two, I was training with Morgan the first week, which wasn't easy at my age to try to keep up with him!

"Morgan has come in as everyone else has for pre-season. He has trained really well I have to say, with a smile on his face, and he's a quality player, there is no getting beyond that.

"I'm sure there will be interest, I'm sure there will be bids for him, but from our point of view he's an Argyle player and I want to try to move forward with Morgan.

"Of course, if you are getting crazy offers as a club you have to look at that, but we want him here. We want him to be part of the squad."

Plymouth Argyle must avoid catastrophic summer with Morgan Whittaker and Michael Cooper departures

The good news for everyone associated with Argyle is the fact that they had plenty of forethought when signing Whittaker last summer, with the winger tied down to Home Park for the foreseeable future.

The 19-goal man currently has a deal that lasts until the summer of 2027 with the club as it stands, with Argyle agreeing a four-year deal when he joined the club permanently ahead of their Championship return.

The Pilgrims will be trying with all their might to keep hold of their talisman this summer, or they risk losing two of their top talents before the 24/25 campaign gets underway, with goalkeeper Michael Cooper [pictured] set to leave the club.

Despite reportedly being offered a deal that would have made him the best-paid player at the club, the shot-stopper has made his intentions clear that he won’t be extended his stay at Home Park past next summer.

With 12 months left on his current deal, Argyle look set to cash in on one of their prized assets this summer, bringing an end to a 15-year association with his boyhood club.