Portsmouth are apparently interested in signing Leeds United mainstay Liam Cooper, who is currently out of contract.
Cooper has been a free agent for more than a month, despite Leeds maintaining talks about extending his contract were ongoing. While there has been no official goodbye, he has been replaced as captain by Ethan Ampadu, and a comeback is unlikely.
He has been linked with Leeds’ Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United, while Blackburn Rovers are also said to be interested in him. Contract length is thought to have been a stumbling issue in talks with Blackburn, who recently signed another experienced defender in Danny Batth. 
According to TEAMtalk, Championship newcomers Portsmouth are considering a move for the experienced centre back. Pompey commemorated their return to the second division with a 3-3 draw at Elland Road this weekend. Portsmouth manager John Mousinho is said to admire Cooper’s experience and leadership, while the defender wants to play regularly for the first team.
He fell down the pecking order under Daniel Farke last season, as the Whites manager preferred Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk in the centre of defence. When Struijk sustained an injury, Ampadu was shifted from midfield to fill in.
While the end of Cooper’s long affiliation with Leeds has not been acknowledged by the club, Farke appeared to speak of the defender as if he were a former player.
Earlier this month.
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, he stated following the club’s friendly win against Valencia: “The leadership group is more or less three or four individuals in their 30s, but we have a relatively young team and Ethan had the best mentor with Liam Cooper. Because Ethan is the new club captain, he must follow in the footsteps of Liam, who has done incredible things for this club over the last decade.
“He took this club to the Premier League and ensured that they had a successful year there. He was an outstanding individual and player for this team.”
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