New Plymouth Argyle manager to face Morgan Whittaker battle immediately: View | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle secured their Championship safety on the final day of the season, and they can thank one man in particular for ensuring they'd be a second tier side next season.

Morgan Whittaker was outstanding for the Pilgrims during the 2023/24 campaign, and it's clear to everybody that had it not been for the 23-year-old, they would not be a Championship club now.

The attacker was named in the EFL Championship Team of the Season, and there's no doubt that the side from Home Park face a serious battle on their hands to keep hold of the former Swansea City man this summer.

The Pilgrims are without a manager, but whoever is appointed at Home Park faces a battle to keep hold of Whittaker, and whether they are able to retain the 23-year-old could make or break Plymouth's 2024/25 campaign.

Morgan Whittaker will attract transfer interest this summer

Whoever is appointed as Plymouth Argyle boss will be aware of Morgan Whittaker's talent, and will be fully aware of how important it is to keep him at the club if they're to be successful.

However, it's not out of the question that a club could make Plymouth an offer they can't refuse, and they have to sell him, but you'd imagine that it would take a serious fee for the Pilgrims to part ways with the 23-year-old.

After joining Plymouth on a permanent basis last summer, Whittaker played 50 times for the club in all competitions during the 2023/24 season, scoring 20 goals, and registering nine assists.

This included all 46 league games, where he scored 19 times and registered eight assists, to take his tally to 27 goal contributions in total.

For a side that finished 21st, just above the relegation zone, it is a hugely impressive feat for a player to record those sorts of numbers, and there will be clubs keeping tabs on him this summer.

Whittaker was the subject of transfer interest in January from the likes of Lazio, and Plymouth turned down a bid from the Italian side, with the club stating that the player was not for sale at the time.

It was a move that paid off, with Whittaker helping lead the club to Championship survival, but they may find it hard to turn down big money bids this summer.

Plymouth's new boss will face a battle to keep hold of the player this summer, and there are bound to be plenty of twists and turns in the coming months.

Plymouth may have to cash in on Morgan Whittaker this summer

Make no bones about it, a club of Plymouth's size will have to listen to offers of around £10million for Morgan Whittaker, as that is a huge amount of money for a club of their stature, and for many clubs at Championship level.

By no means will Plymouth want to cash in on their star player, and Whittaker seems happy at Home Park, but that sort of money could help build a squad for years to come, and they would have made a huge profit from the player's time at the club.

To put it into context, Whittaker was Plymouth's record signing last summer when he joined the club for £1million, showing that the Pilgrims aren't big spenders by any stretch of the imagination, so if they could bring in a transfer fee of £10million plus just a year later, it would represent excellent business.

Plymouth's board won't be naive enough to think that Whittaker is certain to stay at the club this summer as he's an incredibly talented youngster who could attract interest from both the Premier League and top European leagues, and they just won't be able to compete with the wages on offer.

Any manager walking into the club should be aware of this, and they should know that they face a huge battle on their hands to keep Whittaker at the club in the coming months.