"Likely" - Pundit makes Morgan Whittaker, Plymouth Argyle prediction amid Rangers bid | OneFootball

The forward is attracting plenty of interest this summer, with the Scottish side already having a bid rejected

Carlton Palmer believes Plymouth Argyle will end up selling Brentford and Wolves target Morgan Whittaker to Rangers this summer, if the Scottish side come back in with an eight-figure bid.

The Glasgow outfit are said to have tabled a bid in excess of £7 million for the former Swansea City man last week, as they reignite their interest in a player they had a keen interest in signing last year.

After missing out on a move for the frontman in the January of 2023, the Ibrox side are said to be back in the race for the Argyle man this summer, but will face competition from the aforementioned Premier League duo, among others.

The Greens placed a £15 million price tag on Whittaker six months ago after Premier League interest started to gather, but former Sheffield Wednesday man Palmer believes Philippe Clement’s side could get him for less than that before the transfer window comes to an end.

Carlton Palmer makes Morgan Whittaker, Rangers claim after initial bid rejected by Plymouth Argyle

Whittaker netted 19 times in the Championship for Argyle in the previous campaign, as he helped keep the Pilgrims in the second tier as they ended up fighting for survival until the final day of the season.

With his ability to find the net from all distances and angles, the wide man has garnered a reputation as one of the Football League’s sharpest shooters, with interest in him rising as a result.

The rise to prominence after his move to Devon will have irked those on the blue half of Glasgow, after reports of numerous bids being rejected while he was still a Swansea City player in January 2023.

But 18 months on, they are back in the conversation regarding Whittaker’s future, and with the player said to have expressed a desire to make the move north of the border, Palmer believes an improved bid may start to force Argyle’s hand, despite Rooney's insistence that he is not for sale.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer [pictured] said: “The rumours are that Glasgow Rangers are preparing to go back in with an improved for Morgan Whittaker.

“Apparently Whittaker has made his feelings clear that he would like to join Glasgow Rangers, and he had an impressive season last season with Plymouth to help keep them in the Championship, his 19 goals were a major part in keeping them up.

“Rangers initially wanted to take Whittaker last year when Michael Beale was in charge; multiple bids were turned down by Swansea City at that point.

“He’s now back on the radar of current boss Philippe Clement, and it looks like Rangers will be selling captain James Tavernier to Trabzonspor, and this is likely to fund a second bid for Whittaker.

“So we’ll have to see, Wayne Rooney has made it very clear that they wouldn’t be selling Whittaker unless they get a crazy offer.

“But it’s getting close to the start of the season, and if Whittaker has made his feelings known, I would think an improved offer - say they came back with £10 million and add-ons - I think it’s likely that we see Plymouth Argyle’s Morgan Whittaker heading to Glasgow Rangers.”

Carlton Palmer claims Plymouth Argyle can invest in playing squad with Morgan Whittaker profits

Whittaker became Argyle’s most expensive player in history when he signed on the dotted line a year ago, as he became the first million pound player that Argyle ever signed.

With talk circulating of a potential transfer fee of over ten times that this summer, Palmer believes that if the forward does depart the club this summer, he can be looked back on as a great piece of business by the club, however disappointing it will be.

But the ex-England international believes that the funds that do come in from Whittaker’s sale can be used to replace their departing star.

He continued: “It represents a huge profit for Plymouth Argyle on what they paid for Morgan Whittaker, and it would be a really big disappointment for Wayne Rooney as he will need to replace those goals.

“As I said, they were very integral in keeping Plymouth in the Championship last season. It’s not going to be easy, and it’s not going to come cheaply but there’s no point keeping an unhappy player.”