Danny Gabbidon believes Morgan Whittaker could be a good squad option for Russell Martin should he remain at Swansea City beyond the January transfer window.
The attacker excelled at Plymouth Argyle on loan before being recalled by the Swans earlier this month.
He was due to be involved in the 1-1 draw with Queens Park Rangers last weekend but asked the coaching staff not to be included after admitting he was not in the right frame of mind to feature amid fierce transfer interest from Rangers.
READ MORE: Swansea City transfer news as Rangers' new £2m Whittaker bid rejected and strike duo come on radar
Michael Beale's side have had multiple bids for Whittaker turned down by Swansea but could yet complete a move for the forward prior to Tuesday's 11pm deadline.
And former Wales international Gabbidon believes the Swans are holding out for a higher fee for Whittaker now than they would have done before his loan spell at Home Park.
"He's been out at Plymouth and done well. He's come back to Swansea and maybe he feels there's not going to be an opportunity for him there," Gabbidon said on Elis James' Feast of Football podcast.
"A big club like Rangers have come in and it sounds as if he wants to go there. From a Swansea point of view, if they (Rangers) haven't put a sufficient bid, off the back of him doing so well at Plymouth, that's probably raised his value a bit.
"Maybe Rangers can't meet the valuation and then he isn't going to go anywhere. It's going to be interesting to see what happens now because he could be a good option for Swansea.
"Swansea probably would have taken £1.5m at the start of the season and sold him. But on the back of him doing so well at Plymouth, they probably think now 'we can get £2.5m or £3m', and they're probably pricing him out of a move maybe, which is probably the frustration for him."
Whittaker scored nine goals and chalked up seven assists during his loan spell with League One leaders Plymouth.
Discussing the possibility if further signings this month following the capture of Todd Cantwell, Rangers boss Michael Beale said on Friday: "If we manage to get one or two of the other names you are mentioning, or one or two that you haven’t got the scent on just yet, that will be great.
"If we don’t, I think our squad is strong enough to go until the end of the season so it is not like I am going to be devastated come next week if we don’t get another one in.
"We are all fully aligned, we are all on the same page. There is money there to spend, but it is there to be spent on the right ones."
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