Leeds United defender – and club captain – Liam Cooper turned down a £40,000 per week offer from Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Qadsiah during this summer’s transfer window.
That is according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, who reports that Cooper rejected an approach from Robbie Fowler’s side just days before the Whites’ Championship season opener against Cardiff – a game which saw the centre-back pick up an injury which saw him lose his place in manager Daniel Farke’s starting XI.
Saudi Arabia dangled the option of Robbie Fowler, Al Qadsiah and £40k a week in front of Liam Cooper during the last transfer window.
But injury meant discussions about his Leeds United future were put on hold.
A read here about Cooper's situation:https://t.co/WfETdsWdSp
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) October 16, 2023
Cooper currently finds himself in the last year of his contract in West Yorkshire after a lengthy spell at Leeds following his arrival from Chesterfield in the summer of 2014 – at the beginning of former owner Massimo Cellino’s reign.
For many Whites fans Cooper is emblematic of everything Leeds United stands for as a club – a symbol of the grit, determination and fight which the Elland Road faithful want to see in their players whenever they take to the field.
His famous post-match tirade following confirmation of Leeds’ relegation from the Premier League last term, in which he is understood to have told all those in the dressing room who aren’t willing to stay and battle for the club to leave, has already cemented itself in Leeds folklore.
Yet for others in the fanbase, the 32-year-old has never been able to shake the ‘League One Liam’ label which he has been branded with, often thrown his way whenever he makes some form of mistake in the Whites back-line.
Whilst Cooper’s future in white may be unknown at this stage, there is no doubting his commitment – and love – for Leeds as a club, with his rejection of Al-Qadsiah’s lucrative offer being a striking example of this.
Securing an immediate return to the top-flight under Farke would be a perfect – and well-deserved – way for the Scottish international to bring an end to his time at Elland Road.
Leeds return to action this weekend against Farke’s former side Norwich City, seeking to build on the positive momentum created by two back-to-back wins before the international break.
