Leeds United has a number of players whose contracts expire at the end of the season.
This summer might be a watershed moment in the careers of several Leeds United players, making promotion even more important in the coming weeks.
Lewis Bate and Ian Poveda, who are both now on loan from Elland Road, have already played their final game for the club due to contractual obligations.
Sam Byram and Jamie Shackleton both have contracts that expire this summer. The former, in particular, has contributed significantly this season, but both players’ injury problems may lead Leeds to decline extension offers.
Leeds mainstays Liam Cooper, Stuart Dallas, and Luke Ayling could be the most heartbreaking departures in the coming weeks. Like Bate and Poveda, the latter is on loan and has already said his goodbyes in January.
Dallas, however, has already declared that he will retire at the end of his contract after failing to recuperate from injury. Cooper, on the other hand, faces a greater degree of uncertainty.
Cooper reveals his aspirations for the future at Leeds.
According to Phil Hay, Cooper has admitted that he will not be signing a new contract, and conversations appear to have ceased.
This has been expected for several months, with Cooper even having the option of leaving in January due to interest from Blackburn Rovers.
Cooper rejected declined that method in the hopes of regaining his place in the team, but he has only made one league start since New Year’s Day.
Cooper, along with Dallas and Ayling, received ‘Leeds United’s Special Achievement Award’ during the club’s award ceremony, when he expressed his appreciation for being captain on Twitter.
Cooper has proven to be a fantastic investment after signing for Chesterfield for £600,000. He still holds out hope that this season will not be the last.
He stated, “I’ve tried every day to lead by example, be a good example around the place, and give everything I can to make this club great. It’s something I’ve done with great honor, and I’ve cherished every minute of it. Hopefully, that will continue for a few more years, but we’ll see.
