Plymouth Argyle: Morgan Whittaker news will only encourage Wolves, Brentford, Rangers - View | OneFootball

The former Swansea City man has been subject to plenty of transfer speculation this summer

Morgan Whittaker continues to be the talk of the town from a Plymouth Argyle perspective this summer, with plenty of clubs registering their interest in the talented forward.

The former Swansea City man is said to be admired by no fewer than six top flight clubs from across Europe this summer, with Premier League duo Wolves and Brentford among those said to be interested.

Celta Vigo, Stuttgart and Lazio are all also reportedly sniffing around the Argyle hotshot, while Scottish Premiership side Rangers are said to have had a bid of over £7 million rejected last week.

And those potential suitors will have been licking their lips after the left-footed forward’s latest showing in the Greens’ pre-season outing against Cheltenham Town, with another bit of magic once again stealing the show.

Morgan Whittaker's brilliance will have Brentford, Wolves, Rangers on red alert

It’s a sight we have seen so many times before, but it still continues to amaze, with Whittaker’s ability to find the back of the net from distance making him such a valuable asset to the Argyle side in the past 18 months.

The 23-year-old topped the division for goals from outside the box in the previous campaign, with his six goals from more than 18 yards away topping the likes of Jack Clarke and Gabriel Sara, as his reputation as one of the hottest talents outside the Premier League continues to grow.

That unrelenting ability to find the back of the net from all manner of distances and angles saw the wide man outperform his xG by a whopping eight goals in the previous campaign, a figure which will no doubt have caught the eye of many a top club due to his unerring accuracy with his hammer of a left peg.

That brilliance was on show once again at Whaddon Road on Saturday, as another rifled effort was curled in from all of 20 yards against the Robins, as he gets back up to speed ahead of the upcoming campaign.

Not only had he rediscovered his goalscoring form, but his run to the byline and dinked cross with his right foot to set up Ibrahim Cissoko’s equaliser just minutes before also showcased another side of his game.

The front man’s reluctance to use his weaker side often saw him crowded out in matches last season, as opponents targeted Argyle’s main attacking threat, but the ability to leave defenders second-guessing about his plan will only add to his game, and assist his side's output as a result.

With the eyes of a number of top clubs watching, Whittaker will only have helped his reputation with another stellar showing in Gloucestershire, having returned to pre-season looking sharper than ever.

Wayne Rooney reacts to Morgan Whittaker interest

Despite a number of top clubs continuing to show their interest in Whittaker, Argyle and boss Wayne Rooney are adamant that the wide man is not for sale this summer.

The Greens placed a £15 million price tag on their top talent’s head in the January transfer window - when Fulham and Brentford were said to have an interest - and six months on, that stance doesn’t look to have changed.

Speaking after the Cheltenham victory on Whittaker, Rooney [pictured] said: “I have said this before, Morgan is a fantastic player, and I’m really enjoying working with him. We value Morgan very highly. Anything other than a crazy bid, we won’t be entertaining.

“Ultimately, I want Morgan to stay at the football club because he’s a very good player, and he’s the player who can make a difference.”

With Rangers said to have offered less than half of what the Pilgrims want for their top talent, and Lazio having an £8.5 million bid rejected in January, Argyle aren’t letting him go without a fight, as he continues to excel during his time in Devon.

But if he keeps continuing to produce moments like what we saw at the weekend, it will surely be a matter of time before a top side forces Argyle’s hand with the eight-figure bid they desire, and that will be when their resistance will really be tested.