Plymouth Argyle’s Morgan Whittaker is expected to be a highly sought-after player, as the 23-year-old deadly inside forward has recorded a staggering 25 goal contributions already this season.
The Greens have already had to fend off interest for the deadly in-form attacker, with rumoured interest from Italian giants Lazio and Premier League sides Brentford and West Ham to name a few.
The potential sale for the Championship newcomers could yield huge financial rewards, having only acquired Whittaker for £1 million, at the start of the season, but replacing the player, regardless of money, will be a big challenge.
Listed below, are some potential names Argyle could potentially look at, for replacing Whittaker.
Plymouth Argyle’s Potential Targets
Ruben Rodrigues – Oxford UnitedÂ
Keen-eyed fans will perhaps point out that Rodrigues’ numbers this season dwarf those of Whittaker, it’s Rodrigues’ consistency and ability to adapt and flourish in stepping up the pyramid of English Football.
This is the Portugueses’ first season in professional English football, having moved from Notts County last season.
After three sensational years at Notts, which saw the talented winger record 54 goals in 139 games, Rodrigues made the jump up to League One and has since adapted well to the step up, netting seven times along with three assists.
Similar, but not quite to the same extent as Whittaker, Rodrigues has a licence and confidence to shoot, averaging 1.78 shots per 90.
Whilst Rodrigues wouldn’t perhaps immediately replace the goals that Arygle will crave, he will offer a real versatility, even more so than Whittaker, with the Portuguese attacker boasting the ability to play in a range of attacking positions.
Kwame Poku – Peterborough UnitedÂ
Peterborough have already sold one of their incredibly exciting wingers this season, to Coventry, as Ephron Mason-Clark joined the Sky Blues in January and for any Championship clubs that missed out, look no further than Kwame Poku.
Ghanian winger, Poku, is on course for a sensational double-figure haul for both goals and assists this season in League One, as he continues to prove that he’s one of the best attackers in the league.
If it’s the constant threat of goal, through the use of long-range efforts and quick feet to find deadly positions that Argyle desires to recreate from Whittaker, then Poku may very well be the man.
A staggering 3.03 shots per 90 and 0.94 shots on target per 90 explains the threat of goal that Poku creates, ranking 20th out of 353 players for shots per 90.
Of course, we need to take the step down in League into account, but Poku’s all-round game pips Whittaker, with a greater passing accuracy (81.8% compared to 74.3%) and a higher expected assists (4.99 compared to 4.31)
Chris Conn-Clark – Altrincham
A name that will be gathering plenty of attention, and for good reason to, is 22-year-old Chris Conn-Clarke.
The Northern Irish attacking midfielder has surpassed all expectations this season, arguably being the player of the season in the Vanamara National League, scoring 20 goals and assisting 11.
These stats alone point to why I believe Conn-Clark could be a great replacement for Whittaker, but it’s the consistency that stands out the most, proving time and time again this season, that he is thriving and excelling at this level.
Throughout this piece, I’ve highlighted what I believe to be a key stat, that I feel Argyle needs to focus on for their recruitment, should Whittaker leave. That being shots on and off target per 90.
Conn-Clark averages 3.9 shots per 90 and 1.5 on target, proving his threat and eye for a goal are no fluke. Of course, harnessing this level of confidence and transferring this to the Championship wouldn’t perhaps be seamless, but having this level of confidence at his age regardless of the level is impressive.
Ali Al-Hamadi – Ipswich Town
My final suggestion could hinder on one and perhaps two outcomes at the end of the current campaign. That being if Ipswich were to get promoted to the Premier League and Plymouth Argyle retain their status in the Championship.
Should Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys get promoted, I’d expect January addition Ali Al-Hamadi to be on the potential outgoing list of loanees, who may not be ready for the monumental step up in quality, having already jumped from League Two to the Championship this season.
The Iraqi international offers a fantastic set of skills, that I believe would not only work well in an attacking Argyle system but could also fill the gap given the potential Whittaker departure.
Al-Hamadi offers blistering pace and a great eye for goal, accompanied by top physical attributes, making him the epitome of a ‘chaos forward’, something that, when used effectively, can earn great rewards.
You have to look no further than his time at AFC Wimbledon, partnered with his cameos in the Championship this season, to see how talented the 22-year-old is.
Scoring 13 Â and setting up six goals this season earned Al-Hamadi a big move to newly promoted Championship highfliers Ipswich Town this January, paired with a call-up to the Iraq national side and next season will be a big point in his career: a lot rides on Ipswich Town’s end to the current campaign.
Should Ipswich’s fairytale season have its happy ending, I’d expect McKenna and co to want Al-Hamadi to get game time elsewhere, on loan, and given their successes with loans in the past, Plymouth Argyle would be a great choice and fit for the attacker.
