Liam Cooper decision imminent at Elland Road after latest Leeds United transfer news
Leeds United captain Liam Cooper faces a decision on his future over the next few days after Jamie Shackleton said his goodbyes to the club.
Promotion-winning captain Cooper’s contract, like that of Shackleton, expired on 30 June, but both player and club alike are yet to confirm whether or not the Scotland international will follow.
Cooper was one of the first United players to wish Shackleton well after confirmation of his move to Sheffield United on a free transfer [Instagram, 4 July], but all attention will now turn to the future of the 32-year-old.
Daniel Farke’s side are expecting another summer of transition as they look to seal a return to the Premier League at the second attempt, and it remains to be seen if Cooper will be playing any part.
Liam Cooper set to follow Jamie Shackleton out of Leeds United
After 10 seasons at Elland Road, the time may well be right for Cooper to depart, having come so close to captaining a Premier League promotion-winning side for the second time in May.
While the Whites’ 1-0 loss to Southampton and a second season of Championship football means that the club have much less financial power to be buying new defenders [Kieran Maguire, 30 May], Cooper could only watch from the bench at Wembley, his playing time having reduced massively last season.
That’s likely to be the biggest factor in Cooper choosing whether to stick or twist. At 32, he still has plenty of football left to play, and like Shackleton may be better served moving on in order to so so.
That is despite previously being hailed as a “crucial” member of the squad by Daniel Farke.
A mere 16 league appearances is the lowest by some distance since he managed just 11 in 2016-17, and while he still earned a place in Scotland’s Euro 2024 squad off the back of that, game time is the key.
United without Cooper next season would seem a strange place – the veteran has transcended so many different iterations of an ever-changing club – but with the Peacocks looking to plume for the future, now may be the best time to part ways.
In other Leeds United news, a Willy Gnonto exit update has emerged at Elland Road after Brighton opened summer transfer talks.
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