Former Lincoln City loanee Morgan Whittaker could be set for a move to Major League Soccer, with Colorado Rapids in talks with Middlesbrough over his signature.
According to Ben Jacobs, Colorado are discussing a deal which would represent a club-record fee for the American side. No value has been reported, and an agreement has not yet been announced. He had been valued at £5 million ahead of the current season.
That valuation came earlier in the summer after reports surfaced linking Whittaker with West Ham United. The Hammers were reportedly considering a move for the Middlesbrough attacker following their relegation from the Premier League, but it is Colorado who have now opened talks.
Whittaker joined Middlesbrough from Plymouth Argyle in January 2025. The transfer was reported to be worth around £5 million plus potential add-ons, bringing an end to a productive spell at Home Park. The 25-year-old subsequently helped Middlesbrough reach the Championship play-off final last season. Boro were beaten 1-0 by Hull City at Wembley, denying them promotion to the Premier League.
Whittaker’s career began with Derby County before he moved to Swansea City in February 2021. His first proposed move to Lincoln came during the following summer, when he travelled to the club ahead of an anticipated loan switch. Swansea ultimately decided to keep him, but City returned for the attacker during the January 2022 transfer window.
Whittaker joined us for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign and made an immediate impression by scoring on his debut in a 2-0 victory over Oxford United. He operated primarily from the right side of the attack, using his left foot to move inside and threaten from shooting positions. Whittaker scored five times in 20 League One appearances as the Imps secured their place in the division.
His time at Sincil Bank was not entirely straightforward. He was sent off after scoring against Charlton Athletic and was also booed when entering one match as a substitute during a difficult season for Michael Appleton’s team. It’s a bit of a disgrace looking back, as I thought he had a decent loan spell at a difficult time for the club.
After returning to Swansea, Whittaker joined Plymouth on loan in July 2022 and became an important part of their promotion campaign. He scored nine times in 25 league appearances before Swansea recalled him midway through the season.
Plymouth brought him back permanently in July 2023, paying what was then a club-record fee. Whittaker produced an outstanding first full Championship season, including a hat-trick against Norwich City, and was named in the division’s Team of the Season. He was also voted Plymouth’s Player of the Season after helping them preserve their Championship status. Those performances eventually earned him his move to Middlesbrough, where he has continued to play as a winger or attacking midfielder.
Colorado Rapids are seventh in the Western Conference of MLS and are now attempting to make Whittaker the most expensive signing in their history. Talks remain ongoing, but a successful conclusion would take the former Imp to the United States four-and-a-half years after his loan spell at Sincil Bank.
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