‘Flawless’ Leeds United star had tax-free Saudi Arabia contract offered, club are now trying to tie him down — YEP 16/10/23
Leeds United saw a fleet of first team players leave Elland Road after their relegation.
By Georgia Goulding
Leeds United endured a tough transfer window after they were
relegated from the Premier League earlier this year. Their troublesome top
flight run broke the hearts of players and fans alike as they were forced to
return to the Championship. But the headaches didn’t stop after they accepted
their fate.
Leeds then had to navigate their way through a relentless
transfer window, which saw them scrambling to plug the gaps left by the mass
exodus. A total of 16 senior players headed for the exit as money sales,
releases and loan departures started to pile up. One man who was linked to also
leave Leeds this summer was captain Liam Cooper, amid interest from Saudi
Arabia.
The Pro League was scouring English clubs during their
relentless summer recruitment drive and Cooper was among the names on the
radar, with his contract due to expire in 2024. However, he opted to stay at
the West Yorkshire club and help fight for promotion back to the Premier
League.
A new report from Phil Hay has revealed that Al-Qadisah had
tabled a £4 million contract in attempt to lure him away from Elland Road. The
update on The Athletic said that no actual transfer bid was put to Leeds but
the personal terms offer included a tax-free £20,000 per week contract over two
years.
This would have been mega money for Cooper but it wasn’t
enough to sway him and he continued his long-standing service with Leeds. While
his current deal with the Whites is set to expire next summer, The Athletic has
also reported that Cooper is due to resume talks over a new deal with the club.
