Morgan Whittaker price-tag concern is looming for Plymouth Argyle: View | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle have had a mixed season so far as they battle against relegation back to League One after just one year in the league.

The Pilgrims won promotion to the second tier last year, winning the title with an incredible 101 point tally. They were always due for a relegation scrap in their first season back, although the incredible form of Morgan Whittaker looked like it had steered them away from the bottom of the table.

The forward, who joined the club in a one million pound deal in the summer from Swansea City, is one of the top scorers in the Championship, with his goals inspiring the side to some huge wins so far.

However, a downturn in form has left them just a few points above the relegation zone. Relegation is a real possibility, and they will need his goals to remain in the league beyond this season.

His form attracted interest from a variety of clubs, and Plymouth will want him to guarantee their survival before letting Whittaker leave the club.

Whittaker was linked with £15 million move away in January

A number of top flight clubs have been linked with a move for Whittaker, making a move away from the club more likely.

Brentford and Fulham were linked with a move for the forward in January. Football Insider reported that the Premier League clubs were quoted a £15 million fee for Whittaker.

Italian side Lazio were also reportedly interested in the player. They were also linked with Sunderland winger Jack Clarke, as they searched for a bargain deal for a goalscoring winger from the second tier.

With his form back then, Plymouth rejecting that money seemed like a sensible idea. However, with a recent dip in form, it may turn out to be a disastrous decision by the Pilgrims.

A drop in form will have lowered his price tag for Plymouth

Despite rumours of a big-money move in January, things seem to have quieted down since the transfer window slammed shut.

This is due to the forward's drop in form over the past few weeks, leading to some poor results for the Pilgrims in the Championship.

While Whittaker can boast being one of the top scorers in the league so far (he has 18 goals and seven assists in the Championship) but his output has recently dried up. Only two of these goal contributions have come in the past eight games, with two goals and zero assists in those matches. Given he started all, and played 90 minutes in all but one, that is quite the turnaround from the former Swansea player.

Based on his stats this year, this bad run of form will likely end at some point. He is among the top players in the league for shots, shots on target and expected goals, so he may just be unlucky with his lack of goals and assists since the January transfer window ended.

However, a drop in form during a crucial part of the season will likely drop the price clubs are willing to pay for the forward. With Whittaker still unproven at a high level, seeing him fail to score or assist consistently during the run-in makes him a less valuable prospect for clubs.

This will be even worse if Plymouth suffer relegation.

, the club would be very lucky to be able to command the £15 million fee rumoured for Whittaker in January. They will likely have to half their asking price if they can't avoid the drop, so finishing outside the bottom three is what they need to focus on most right now.