Middlesbrough have been looking for ways to strengthen their squad for a final push for the playoffs and they were always likely to add more depth in forward areas. 

Morgan Whittaker has left Plymouth Argyle for the northeast today. After a late bid by Burnley to try and tempt the young forward, Boro were able to get Whittaker in what might be considered a coup of sorts.

The club confirmed the signing with Dominic Shaw of the Northern Echo reporting that the bid is somewhere in the vicinity of £5 million with £2.5 million worth of add-ons. The contract is said to be four-and-a-half years.

Are Middlesbrough a Good Fit For Whittaker?

With Whittaker making the move to a team full of attacking options, the question of why he chose Middlesbrough seems valid. There might be several reasons. Ben Doak had his call-back clause expire this past week, and Whittaker has normally played on the right wing.

However, Tommy Conway has been out for a while with injury and that has taken away an option for Michael Carrick up front. Not only that but because of the options available, there is a chance that Finn Azaz could move out to the left wing and Whittaker take the spot he has normally occupied for Middlesbrough.

Whittaker also is a good long-term option after Doak leaves in the summer. However, there does seem to be a reason why the youngster chose Teeside over a move to a team like Burnley. Recently, players seem to be attracted to the idea of playing not only for a manager who is a legend from his playing days but also one who seemingly develops talent to help them succeed better.

One has to look no further than the likes of Morgan Rogers, Josh Coburn, Emmanuel Latte Lath, Isaiah Jones, Delano Burgzorg, and Tommy Conway to see the kind of impact that Michael Carrick has had on these players. Carrick is not only developing players, but he is also helping them prepare for the rest of their careers.

It is quite a testament to how well Middlesbrough are doing with their player development and recruitment that players such as Whittaker want to sign with the club.

Both Parties Must Move Past Difficult Situation

One of the huge storylines coming out of this story has been how Whittaker ended his stay with Plymouth Argyle. After being left out of the starting lineup in midweek against Burnley, Plymouth boss Miron Muslic indicated that Whittaker never showed up for him to be selected. This certainly hung a cloud over the whole saga. However, there seems to be more to the tale.

A report by The Mirror details that, according to Whittaker, he had a meeting with Muslic before the game. In this meeting, the Pilgrims boss indicated that Whittaker was not in his selection plans and that he wasn’t even planning on the player being involved in the squad for the match.

Whittaker apparently was not even involved in the tactical meetings for the game and was told to not even train with the rest of the squad. If this is the case, it puts a whole new light on the situation.

This deal for the 24-year-old forward seems like a signing that signals what kind of ambitions Middlesbrough have. The last 48 hours have been nothing short of hectic for the Championship club especially considering the Whittaker signing is right on the heels of the return of Ryan Giles to the club.