Leeds United are in an interesting position at the moment as they are currently unsure as to what league they will be competing in during the 2024/25 campaign.
The Whites are second in the Championship, as it stands, and are hoping to secure promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, having been relegated from the division at the end of last season.
Daniel Farke's team remained in the automatic promotion places on Tuesday night after Southampton lost 2-1 to Hull at St. Mary's, which has kept them two points above the Saints, and above Ipswich Town on goal difference.
This uncertainty could make it tricky for the club to manage the players who are due to be out of contract in the summer, as their respective futures may be determined by the league that Leeds are in.
One player who is currently on course to depart on a free transfer at the end of the season is long-serving captain Liam Cooper, who turns 33 in August.
Farke has shown a willingness to bring through young players, with the likes of Archie Gray and Mateo Joseph being prime examples, and could dip into the market to find a dream replacement for the Scotland international – Diogo Monteiro.
Liam Cooper's career at Leeds
The 32-year-old titan arrived at Elland Road from Chesterfield in the summer of 2014 as the Whites prepared for a season in the Championship.
Cooper went on to establish himself as a regular for the club in the second tier over the subsequent years and then hit his top form when Marcelo Bielsa arrived in 2018.
The Scottish ace made 36 appearances in the Championship during the 2018/19 campaign as Leeds finished third in the table and lost in the semi-finals of the play-offs to Derby County.
He made 4.1 tackles and interceptions per match on average and won 63% of his individual duels throughout those 36 outings, which shows that the impressive gem dominated opposition attackers and constantly looked to win the ball back for his side.
Leeds then went one better the following season as they won the Championship title and promotion to the Premier League. Cooper featured in 38 of their 46 league matches and helped the team to keep 15 clean sheets.
The experienced defender made 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game and won 62% of his duels that term, as he once again dominated players in physical contests to be a solid presence at the back for Bielsa.
Cooper was then tasked with making the step up to the Premier League for the 2020/21 campaign and did so impressively. The towering enforcer caught the eye with his superb defensive work to help the Whites to achieve survival.
Only Luke Ayling (2.8) made more tackles per game (2.7) and no other Leeds player, in any position, made more interceptions per match (2.4) than the veteran colossus.
He also topped the squad for interceptions per outing (2.0) during the 2021/22 season as the Whites, once again, avoided relegation from the top-flight.
Liam Cooper's season in numbers
However, Cooper – who made 18 league appearances – could not prevent the club from suffering the drop at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, and has been a bit-part player under Farke so far this term.
The Scotland international has made seven starts and played 14 times in total in the Championship so far this season, as the likes of Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk, and Ethan Ampadu have been preferred to him.
He has made 1.6 tackles and interceptions combined per match and come out on top in 57% of his duels, which shows that the experienced centre-back has not been as dominant as he once was at that level.
Cooper has also been reliable in possession of the ball with a pass success rate of 91% and zero errors leading to shots or goals for the opposition.
The Leeds skipper has been a solid but not key performer for Farke in the second tier, which is why it could make sense to allow him to move on in the summer on a free transfer.
His departure would then open the door for a young player to step up and take his spot as a back-up option, and Monteiro could be the player to make that leap.
Why Diogo Monteiro could replace Cooper
The impressive youngster only turned 19 in January and has already established himself as a regular for the club's U21 side, with 20 appearances since the start of last season.
Monteiro has only missed two Premier League 2 matches during the 2023/24 campaign to date, with 11 outings in the U21 competition so far.
He has also played six matches for Portugal's U19 side since June of last year, and captained his country in four of those games – something the young gem has done twice for Leeds' U21s this season.
This suggests that the Portuguese enforcer has the leadership qualities to potentially develop into Cooper 2.0 at Elland Road, given that the Scottish giant is the current Leeds captain, as he has been selected to lead his team for club and country at youth level.
Back in 2022, Monteiro showcased his quality at first-team level for former club Servette as a 17-year-old against Young Boys with a fantastic performance at the heart of their defence.
Minutes played
90
Blocks
One
Tackles + interceptions
Three
Pass success rate
87%
Duels contested
Ten
Duels won
Six
Sofascore rating
7.4
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the teenage titan was a defensive wall at the back to help his side keep a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw with the Swiss giants.
Football scout Ron Dor described him as a "monster" after his impressive display, which is backed up by his 60% duel success rate as it shows that he got the better of the Young Boys attackers more often than not.
Therefore, Farke may already have the dream replacement for Cooper in Monteiro as the Leeds academy colossus has the mental, physical, and technical qualities to develop into a first-team asset for the club if he can make the step up to the senior side on a regular basis.
The German head coach could allow the experienced Whites skipper to leave on a free in the summer and then bring the Portugal U19 international into the fold to take his squad role moving forward.