The Whites central defender is due to become a free agent this summer.
Leeds United do not yet know which league they will compete in next season because they are vying for promotion to the Premier League this season.
The Whites are now second in the Championship table, trailing only Leicester City, and are expected to return to the top flight next season.
However, Ipswich Town and Southampton are both vying for the spot, and there is no certainty that the Yorkshire club can avoid the lottery of the play-offs, which cost them promotion in the 2018/19 season under Marcelo Bielsa.
Their divisional status may influence their decision-making over first-team players who are poised to become free agents in the summer.
However, regardless of the league in which Leeds play next season, Daniel Farke should drop Liam Cooper.
The long-serving captain, who earns more than Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto, should be allowed to leave on a free transfer to join a club where he can finish his career playing regular football rather than withering away on the bench at Elland Road.
How much does Liam Cooper earn at Leeds?
According to Salary Sport, the veteran central defender at Elland Road earns £19k per week, more than Gnonto, Summerville, and Sam Byram, among others.
The 32-year-old battler has been a strong performance when called upon by Farke throughout the 2023/24 season, but has spent the majority of time on the bench.
He has only started seven Championship matches out of 14 outings, while Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, and Pascal Struijk have all been preferred over him.
Cooper is Farke’s fourth-choice centre-back, while academy graduate Charlie Cresswell has five Championship appearances and may be eyeing a bigger role as he matures and improves.
33 in August, it appears unlikely that the Scotland international would move up the pecking order, especially if Leeds are promoted to the Premier League, but the opposite might happen if Cresswell persuades Farke that he is ready for more minutes.
As a result, the German manager must brutally dismiss the 6 foot 2 titan, who presently ranks in the top 12% of Championship centre-backs for progressive passes (4.76) per 90, due to a lack of game time and prospects.
Cooper, who has not appeared in the league since New Year’s Day, may wish to look for regular football to finish his career, and Leeds should look to offload his costly £19k-per-week salary, considering his poor effect on the pitch this season.
However, it is crucial to highlight that the veteran centre-back has been a great servant to Leeds throughout his tenure in Yorkshire and should be remembered for his total services to the club rather than just his performance this season.
The numbers behind Liam Cooper’s Leeds career
The Scottish ace signed from Chesterfield in the summer of 2014 and has made 282 appearances for the Whites in all competitions over nearly a decade at Elland Road.
He has 11 goals and six assists as a center defense for the Yorkshire club over the years, and he has been instrumental in the team’s development under Marcelo Bielsa.
| 2019/20 Championship | Liam Cooper |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 38 |
| Starts | 36 |
| Tackles per game | 1.4 |
| Interceptions per game | 1.8 |
| Clean sheets | 15 |
| Ground duel success rate | 66% |
| Aerial duel success rate | 60% |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
As shown in the table above, Cooper was a frequent starter for the Argentine tactician during the 2019/20 season, as Leeds won the league title and earned promotion to the Premier League.
He was named to the PFA Team of the Year that season, alongside teammates Ben White, Kalvin Phillips, and Luke Ayling, demonstrating how highly his colleagues valued his performances.
The former Chesterfield player went on to play 66 Premier League games for Leeds United over three seasons before being relegated last year.
Overall, Cooper has had a good career at Elland Road, but his time appears to be coming to an end, as Farke has the option to move on his £19k-per-week salary in the summer.
This might free up additional finances to give Summerville and Gnonto extensions, who are currently earning less and outperforming him on the field this season.
How much do Summerville and Gnonto earn at Leeds
According to Salary Sport, Summerville is currently earning £16k per week and Gnonto is earning £9k per week, having joined as promising young players from Feyenoord and Zurich.
Despite their lower pay than Cooper, the two wingers have been outstanding on the pitch for Farke’s team in their quest for Premier League promotion.
The Dutch forward in particular has been in fantastic form this season, scoring and creating goals at an amazing rate.
| 23/24 Championship | Crysencio Summerville | Wilfried Gnonto |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 34 | 29 |
| Starts | 32 | 14 |
| Goals | 15 | 6 |
| Assists | 8 | 2 |
| Big chances created | 16 | 2 |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||
As indicated in the table above, both players have performed well in the final third and have been regularly used by Farke, either as starters or off the bench.
Summerville is presently ranked fourth in the Championship for goals (15), ninth in assists (eight), third in Expected Assists (9.73), and fourth in ‘big chances created’ (16), showing that he has been one of the division’s best attacking players this season.
Gnonto, on the other hand, has only recently begun to find his rhythm. In his last ten games across all competitions, the Italy international has six goals and one assist for the Whites.
These statistics reveal that both players have had a significant impact on the pitch for Leeds as they strive to achieve an immediate return to the Premier League, but Cooper has been rarely called upon.
Farke must cruelly release the seasoned colossus in order for him to find a new club in the summer, where he may hopefully play regular football for the rest of his outstanding career.
