This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.
Leeds United searched the lower-tiers for defensive reinforcements in the summer of 2014, and hit big with their capture of Liam Cooper, who left Chesterfield for Elland Road for an alleged £675,000, as per TransferMarkt.
The Whites and Spireites did not disclose the fee of Cooper’s move five years ago (BBC), but managed to agree a price for the then-22-year-old after the Championship outfit re-opened negations following two rejected bids that July.
Cooper had only been a permanent player Chesterfield for 18-months when Leeds came knocking, but lifted the League Two title at the Derbyshire outfit having played 48 times for the side following his arrival from Hull City.
He has not yet touched silverware again since moving to West Yorkshire where he wears the captain’s armband, but his efforts under Marcelo Bielsa in the past year have been enough for the Kingston upon Hull-born centre-back to receive his senior international debut for Scotland.
Cooper had sat on the Tartan Army’s bench five times since first earning a senior call-up in 2016 (TransferMarkt), but it took until an injury to Aberdeen captain Scott McKenna before the Whites star would take to the field (The Scotsman).
He failed to prevent Russia from taking the spoils at Hamden Park last Friday and would concede a further four at home to Belgium on Monday, but Cooper is now worth far more than when he arrived at Elland Road, with TransferMarkt now touting the 28-year-old international defender at £4.05million, having spiked £3.15m since September 2018.
His market value skyrocketing under Bielsa has not been through any individual revelation, either, with Cooper’s successful tackles per ninety minutes last season (1.9 from 2.4, per WhoScored) actually a lower percentage won than he had achieved in the prior two Championship campaigns.
Cooper’s clearances per ninety minutes (3.9) was also down on the previous two league seasons, while his interceptions (2.6) rose alongside Pontus Jansson as the pair were named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.
Following his inclusion in the team announced in April, the PFA described his efforts as: “Leeds United’s captain Liam Cooper is every inch the dominant defender that is required for Marcelo Bielsa sides. He has formed a solid partnership with Pontus Jansson as the Elland Road club have racked up more clean sheets already this season than they did for the entirety of last term. The no-nonsense defender will no doubt play a key role as the title race hots up.”
Leeds have now moved to secure Cooper’s long-term future with a five-year contract, tieing the Scotland international to Elland Road until the summer of 2024, and they would be sure to receive a lucrative payout if any side wished to lure him away during that.
Leeds fans, how important was securing Cooper’s long-term future? Let us know in the comments below…
