Fulham and Brentford considering late swoop for Plymouth Argyle talisman as Lazio bid turned down | OneFootball

With the final couple of days of the January transfer window now approaching, attentions are turning towards the Championship - but not for incoming players to second tier clubs.

It is the players that could depart one of the world's most competitive leagues that are catching the headlines, with one of them in the form of Adam Wharton close to securing a move away from Blackburn Rovers to Crystal Palace.

But it is the attacking players of the Championship that are now attracting significant interest - with one of those being Plymouth Argyle talisman Morgan Whittaker.

And the 23-year-old is now one of the players to watch ahead of the February 1 transfer deadline, with several clubs declaring their interest in the hot-shot.

According to a report from Football Insider, Premier League sides are now looking into the possibility of putting in late bids for Whittaker in an attempt to take him from the Pilgrims, just a few months after he joined the Devon outfit on a permanent basis.

It is claimed that both Fulham and Brentford sent scouts to Elland Road on Saturday afternoon to watch Whittaker in action as Plymouth drew 1-1 with Leeds United in an FA Cup fourth round clash.

Whittaker captained Ian Foster's side and played all 90 minutes, and having monitored the forward before that anyway, both the Bees and the Cottagers are considering moves for the ex-Derby County and Swansea City man ahead of Thursday's 11pm deadline.

Brentford were close to securing Club Brugge winger Antonio Nusa in one of the biggest January deals anywhere in the world, but problems over the Norwegian's medical tests, in which a knee issue cropped up, is forcing the West London outfit to look elsewhere, with attentions seemingly turning to Whittaker.

Fulham however have been incredibly quiet in the transfer window, although a late offer for Whittaker's services could change everything.

Lazio bid for Whittaker rejected

Whittaker is also wanted overseas and not just in England, with reports emerging in the middle of the month that Italian Serie A outfit Atatlanta sent scout Mick Doherty to watch the left-footed dynamo in action against Huddersfield Town - a match in which he scored in.

A new team from Italy have emerged as suitors for Whittaker though, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reporting on Monday evening that Lazio were now interested in Whittaker, and Argyle's director of football Neil Dewsnip has confirmed that an offer has been turned down from the Rome-based outfit.

Dewsnip has also revealed that Whittaker is not for sale, which would seemingly scupper anyone's chances of landing one of the Championship's top scorers.

Plymouth should hold out for £20 million figure for Whittaker

There is a saying that every player has his price, and despite Whittaker being declared as not for sale, Plymouth will almost certainly accept a bid providing their valuation is met.

That valuation though, looking at what the likes of Norwich and Sunderland want for Jonathan Rowe and Jack Clarke respectively, must be set very high and they must not be pushed over or bullied by bigger clubs.

Plymouth don't get 40,000-plus crowds through the door like the Black Cats do, but that does not mean they cannot demand a similar figure for their star man like the Wearsiders are with Clarke.

Whittaker has scored 15 times this season in league action and is proving himself to be one of the best players in the division, so a £20 million valuation would be fair and if that is met, then that is huge money for a club like Plymouth - whether that happens though this month remains to be seen.