Brian Deane believes Leeds United should let Liam Cooper leave Elland Road on a free transfer at the end of the season so he can land a lucrative contract somewhere else.
The Scottish international has played a supporting role for Daniel Farke’s team this season, earning just seven Championship starts for the Whites as he dropped down the rankings behind Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, and Pascal Struijk.
Cooper’s Elland Road contract expires at the end of the current campaign, and Sky Sports commentator Deane believes that would be the wisest course of action for all sides. It has been suggested that Cooper is unlikely to receive a new contract offer.
“I think that if they go up, they should realistically let him go and get a good contract somewhere else, as they’re going to have to refresh in that position,” he stated, as reported by Football League World on March 7. He won’t receive any playing time if they keep him.
“I know from my own experiences that you can sit and be frustrated when you think you want to stay, but unfortunately time moves on. He’s been a great servant to the club, but I’m sure they’ll come to the right agreement.
“If they keep him, it’s because they think he will be a great leader for next season, but sometimes as a player, you have to start thinking about these things, and you need to be playing all the time.”
