Championship rivals find tricky obstacle in deal to sign player after Leeds United deal expires

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Plenty of players have left Leeds United on a free transfer this summer and are yet to find themselves a new club, with the Championship campaign getting closer and closer.

England’s second tier begins in just 15 days on August 9, with Leeds in action a day later as The Whites welcome Portsmouth to Elland Road. Yet, three big players are without a club after their deals expired.

Cody Drameh is out of contract after returning to Leeds from his loan at Birmingham and the same with Ian Poveda, who is expected to join Sheffield Wednesday though nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

Liam Cooper is in the same boat, yet the former Leeds captain has plenty of interest in him. The Scotland star is a major target for Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers, with manager John Eustace interested.

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Blackburn in talks to sign Liam Cooper after Leeds exit

Blackburn’s interest is nothing new but there is an obstacle that Eustace’s side are currently facing in talks to sign the experienced left-footed defender. That being, the length of Cooper’s new deal at Ewood Park.

Alan Nixon reports in The Sun (21/07, p57) that Cooper is in talks with Blackburn. However, the defender wants a contract beyond the next 12 months and Blackburn only want to offer a one-year contract.

Unless a compromise is required, the impasse in talks is such that Blackburn may end up putting interest in Cooper aside and target a different free agent, in former Stoke and Wolves defender Danny Batth.

What Daniel Farke has said about Cooper in last few days

Farke confirmed after the win over Harrogate that Cooper will not be signing a new deal and indeed, will be leaving Leeds. He said as much, along with Drameh but Leeds themselves are yet to confirm an exit.

It might be that Leeds wait until Cooper finds himself a new club before announcing Cooper’s departure, with plenty expected to be made of the defender’s exit given he has spent almost 10 years at Elland Road.

Farke said: “No. It’s more or less the players that are here. I’ve said so much about Liam and praised him so much, so I think no words are needed, but right now we concentrate on the players around us.”