According to sports journalist Pete O’Rourke on Twitter (below), Swansea’s move for Derby County winger Morgan Whittaker looks to be entering its endgame.
Derby winger Morgan Whittaker is undergoing a medical at Swansea City ahead of signing a four-and-a-half year deal at the Liberty Stadium. #dcfc #SwanseaCity #DeadlineDay
— Pete O'Rourke (@SportsPeteO) February 1, 2021
Morgan Whittaker – who is he?
20-year-old Whittaker is somewhat a surprising reach for Swansea City to make. However, he is a player held in high regard at Derby County.
The young flyer had a contract due to run until the summer of 2023 but Swansea have seemingly managed to twist Derby’s arm in this Rams raid for the young talent.
He’s been at Pride Park since he was a youngster, making the leap from the Under-18’s set-up at the club into the first-team reckoning ahead of the 2019/20 Championship campaign.
Morgan Whittaker – why have Swansea City swooped
Potential. Plain and simple it can be argued that the Swans have swooped for Whittaker’s potential.
As an Under-18 at Pride Park he stood out was a threat on the field. In 53 games for the Under-18s, he scored 31 goals and provided 13 assists.
That productivity didn’t stop when playing up an age group at the club. In 18 games for the Under-23s, Whitaker scored seven goals and created five assists.
In Europe’s elite UEFA Under-19 competition, he represented Derby’s Under-19 squad four times, scoring five goals and adding three assists. This total included a hat-trick and an assist in a 7-goal mauling of Belarusian side FK Minsk.
Leaving Derby County and arriving at Swansea City
Whittaker, once he signs will have left a Derby County side battling hard at the bottom end of the Championship.
Once the ink has dried on the dotted line, he will join a Swansea City side fighting hard in the upper reaches of the Sky Bet Championship.
It should be a move that will be able to showcase the exciting winger’s undoubted potential. Under Swans boss, Steve Cooper, a manager once involved with England at youth level, you’d expect Whittaker to kick-on in his game.
It is a game where he has already made 32 appearances for the senior side at Derby County, scoring one goal and adding one assist.
Biographical details derived from the player page on Transfermarkt website
