Liam Cooper offered ‘Eye-watering’ wage-rise to leave Leeds United, club and player stance shared
Liam Cooper has shown no signs of pushing to leave Leeds this summer after receiving an approach from Saudi Arabia, according to Leeds-Live.
Writing on their official website (4 August), the news outlet report that interest from the Middle East is real but Leeds are yet to receive any official approaches about their captain over a move.
While Cooper would earn an “eye-watering” tax-free pay rise from joining Robbie Fowler’s Al-Qasadiyah side, the skipper is yet to show any signs of wanting a move and Leeds want to keep him for their season in the Championship.
“As with all of the high-profile offers landing in the UK from the Middle East nation in this transfer window, Fowler’s side would offer an eye-watering, tax-free salary to lure Cooper over,” they wrote.
“However, as it stands, the skipper is not leaving West Yorkshire.
“With Cooper under contract, Leeds would need to receive an official bid to begin any process and that has not yet happened. The Whites, who are currently in the market for a centre-back, would be reluctant to lose the longest-serving member of their dressing room.
“There have been no indications from Cooper, at this stage, he wants to start the wheels turning on any transfer.”
Fantastic
Nobody would begrudge Cooper for taking a huge pay-rise at this stage of his career in a far less physical and difficult division, but this is great news.
As captain of the club he has shown his commitment to the club from the moment the club were relegated, and he has been a key part of Daniel Farke’s plans during pre-season at centre-back.
The squad is already very light on options in that position with just Charlie Cresswell and Pascal Struijk as other options for the role with the Championship season kicking off on Sunday.
We need him to be a leader on and off the pitch to ensure that players don’t let standards slip while pushing for an immediate return to the Premier League, and this will only endear him to fans even more.
It’s not done until the window slams shut, but it looks like Cooper is staying at Elland Road and we couldn’t be happier about it.
In other Leeds news, two debuts and a Gnonto decision made in our predicted XI v Cardiff.