Miron Muslic facing Plymouth Argyle transfer concern already | OneFootball

The new Pilgrims boss already has his hands full, with Morgan Whittaker's future at Home Park hanging in the balance

Miron Muslic is yet to even be in the Plymouth Argyle hot seat for a week, but the Austrian will already be well aware of what he is up against for the remainder of the season, and just as importantly, for the rest of this month.

The former Cercle Brugge boss was in the stands to watch his new side overcome Brentford in the FA Cup on Saturday, with the Pilgrims overcoming top flight opposition in the competition for the first time since 1984 - a year they reached the semi-finals.

Morgan Whittaker was the man to steal the headlines with his late strike being enough to sink the Bees on their own turf, with the wide man helping his side claim a first away win in any competition this season with an arrow into the bottom left corner.

While that has given the Green Army their highlight of what has been something of a tiresome season so far, renewed transfer interest in the much-wanted forward will have done nothing for the mood around Home Park of late, with Burnley the side sniffing around once more, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

Burnley renew Morgan Whittaker interest

The Clarets have been long-time admirers of the former Swansea City man, with reports of two bids being rejected in the dying embers of the summer transfer window, as Argyle stood firm on their reported £10 million valuation of Whittaker.

No sooner had he rifled in the winner at the Gtech Community Stadium than the rumours started to spread once again of Scott Parker’s side taking an interest in the 24-year-old, who has so often produced something out of nothing during his association with the green half of Devon.

Once again, Simon Hallett and the powers that be at Home Park are said to have rejected any advances from the Lancashire side - who make the trip to the southwest next week - with their resolve still proving to be tougher than their divisional rivals expected.

While Muslic will be tasked with coming in and earning results right from the off, the 42-year-old also needs to make sure that his star man feels loved right from the off, and make it known that he is fundamental to the new game plan going forward.

Anyone who has seen the rousing speech given to the players on his first day on the job will see that Muslic is a man who will make the fire in your heart burn bright, and inspire a togetherness within the squad that could well turn things around in the months to come.

Whittaker will be fundamental to that fight against the drop, and keeping the likes of Burnley at arms’ length for the next fortnight or so would be a great achievement in itself.

Morgan Whittaker will be key in Plymouth Argyle’s battle against relegation

While he hasn’t had the best of seasons compared to the lofty standards he has set in his early career, Whittaker’s return to fitness and form could make all the difference in the second-half of the campaign, where the Greens are left fighting for their status as a Championship club once again.

That strike in West London was only his fourth in all competitions in the current campaign, with a toe injury keeping him on the sidelines in the latter part of last year, while Wayne Rooney’s tenure failed to get the most out of that unstoppable weapon that is his left peg.

But 20 goals last season proves that he most definitely can turn it on when his side need him the most, and as the new era begins at Home Park, he is needed more than ever to make the difference in the final third.

The addition of Michael Baidoo from Elfsborg will add extra creativity going forward, while the lack of fit and firing number nines will be a cause for concern, but this is an exciting time to be involved with Plymouth Argyle Football Club, and that needs to be drilled into Whittaker every day of this month to keep him from packing his bags and upping sticks.

He won’t be at Home Park forever, but losing him at such a crucial part of the season - to a divisional rival no less - seems like a poor bit of business, regardless of the price tag, with many more millions likely to be lost if Argyle’s place in the second tier is given up in May.

The summer is a different story; entertain bids all you want then, after Muslic has had time to get his feet under the table and put his own stamp on the team, with any transfer fee likely to add to the funds available to bring in new recruits.

But if that off-season is to be one where the Pilgrims are preparing for their third straight season of Championship football, Whittaker needs to stay at all costs, with the Greens having to fend off any suitors with a ten-foot barge pole for the rest of the month.