Leeds United defender Liam Cooper may have started his final game for the club after his recent performance for Scotland, which highlighted his rapid decline at the top level.
Steve Clarke called up the Whites’ star for their critical Euro 2024 qualifier against Spain on Thursday (12 October), but he was banished to the bench in the 2-0 loss.The Elland Road veteran has also played only three Championship games for his club this season, with Tottenham loanee Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk Daniel Farke’s preferred centre-back partnership.
The 32-year-old was on the verge of leaving Elland Road this summer after receiving interest from the Saudi Pro League, and many anticipated him to finish his nine-year career in West Yorkshire.
On October 17, Phil Hay of The Athletic stated that Cooper got a £4 million contract offer from Saudi Arabia over the summer.
Al-Qadisah, now managed by Liverpool veteran Robbie Fowler, signed a two-year, tax-free contract worth £40,000 per week.
The attention and contract offer never developed to the point of making an official bid to Leeds, and the captain elected to stay at Elland Road rather than force his way out.
Despite the considerable sum of money on offer, Cooper was believed to have no intention of leaving, and he was able to keep his captaincy under Daniel Farke.
However, before, that commitment was primarily required in the dressing room rather than on the field.
With his contract at Elland Road set to expire in less than a year, in June 2024, and no hint of a contract extension, the clock is ticking for the Leeds veteran to finally retire.
After limited minutes under Farke, the international break should have allowed him to improve his fitness and match rhythm, but in his first start of the October international break against France on Tuesday night (17 October), the Elland Road centre-back was horrible.
Cooper failed to win any ground duels, made zero tackles in 65 minutes on the field, touched the ball only 36 times, dribbled past once, and conceded a penalty that Kylian Mbappe converted to make it 3-1 before halftime.
The Elland Road veteran has been an invaluable asset to Leeds United in recent years, but his most recent international performance indicates that he is nearing the end of his career.
Cooper may no longer give Farke with much defensive quality as the club prepares for a genuine promotion push this season in a demanding 46-game season.
Cooper’s most recent outing came in the club’s 3-0 loss to Southampton, another performance that signaled to Farke that the 32-year-old could struggle to cope with the Championship’s high intensity, and that could well have been his final start at the club.