A Leeds United player has confirmed he has not heard anything from the club about signing a new contract at Elland Road, with his current deal due to expire next month.
Leeds have a number of players that are about to see their contracts expire. Robin Koch has already completed a permanent move to Frankfurt, while reports say Luke Ayling will sign with Middlesbrough.
Sam Byram and Jamie Shackleton will see their deals expire in the summer, while Stuart Dallas is retiring. Ian Poveda, Lew Bate and Cody Drameh will also see their contracts end, after spending time out on loan.
Another is club captain Liam Cooper, who came on for the final few minutes of the second leg against Norwich on Thursday. It felt like the end of an era for the Leeds skipper after 10 years at Elland Road.
Cooper wrote in his programme notes before the game that it had “been a pleasure” to captain Leeds, and made it clear at the club’s awards night that he would be delighted to sign a new Leeds contract.
This week, Cooper was asked about talks over a potential new deal and said that he has not been in talks with the club to extend his stay, stating that there are more important things happening right now.
Liam Cooper yet to hear from Leeds about a new contract
It felt like Cooper’s last game for Leeds on Thursday night, as he entered the field of play with Leeds already 4-0 up and about to book their place in the play-off final at Wembley against Southampton.
Fans gave Cooper a big cheer when he entered the field of play and it would now be a surprise to see him extend his contract. But Cooper is holding out hope, even if he has not heard about any new talks.
“Obviously those conversations haven’t happened yet. We can all see a lot bigger things going on than to worry about things like that,” the Leeds captain said in an interview with the Yorkshire Evening Post.
Why promotion could be key in Leeds making Cooper decision
Cooper has made it clear that he will be doing everything to help rally the Leeds troops and get them back to the Premier League ahead of Sunday’s play-off final, but a win at Wembley ends his Leeds spell.
Leeds will not need Cooper in the Premier League, taking out the emotion of a potential new contract. Joe Rodon would sign permanently, Pascal Struijk returns and a new signing would surely be made.
But should Leeds fail to win against Russell Martin’s side, then Rodon leaves and it is likely that Struijk garners interest. It increases the need for Cooper and heightens the likelihood of a new deal.