Derby County look to capitalise on failed Hull City deal | OneFootball

The Rams are in the race to sign former Leeds United captain and free agent, Liam Cooper.

Derby County are in the race to sign former Leeds United captain and free agent Liam Cooper, after a proposed move to Hull City collapsed earlier this week.

That's according to journalist Darren Witcoop via X on Thursday evening, in what would be a sizeable boost to Paul Warne's Rams squad.

Cooper, 33, appeared to be heading to East Yorkshire to sign with the Tigers, but the deal went dead in the water after reaching an advanced stage, with both parties seemingly keen on the move.

This twist in the tale has now presented a second chance for clubs to sign the experienced centre-back, and it appears that the Rams are jostling for his signature.

Rams in the running for Cooper

As revealed by Witcoop on Thursday evening, Derby have put themselves in the mix to sign Cooper, as they look to add further depth to their defensive options.

It is believed that another Championship side is also in the mix to sign the former Leeds captain, therefore suggesting that despite him being a free agent, the Rams may need to move quickly in order to secure his signature.

After failing to agree a new contract at Elland Road, the veteran defender quickly became one of the higher profile names on the free agent market, and Hull City owner Acun Ilicali even had Cooper in attendance for Hull's 0-0 draw with Millwall last weekend.

But after his deal with the Tigers collapsed, Derby appear to have taken advantage and swooped in on a potential bargain.

Cooper is a Hull City academy graduate, having developed through their youth system and being the club that allowed him to take his first steps into professional football.

The Scottish international joined Leeds in 2014, where he would go on to spend a decade with the Whites that saw him emerge into a modern day Leeds legend, a status that was cemented when he captained the side to Premier League promotion in 2020.

Cooper would be shrewd addition for Derby

Derby will undoubtedly have ambitions of not just surviving, but thriving in their first season back in the Championship this season.

But to do either of those things, having players in the squad who've been there and done it and can bring bags of experience to the side, are always vital and yet sometimes overlooked pieces of a dressing room.

With Derby having conceded four to Blackburn and two to Watford respectively, signs that Warne's side may still need to improve at the back are there, and adding a player like Cooper would help them go a long way to fixing that.

He's a proven performer at Championship level, and from his 16 appearances in the second tier last season, he still displayed the ability and class that has seen him perform at a high level throughout his career.

Indeed, Cooper's 80% tackles won per 90 placed him in the top 91.6 percentile of Championship central defenders last season, whilst his 100.1 touches and 1.78 interceptions per 90 placed him in the top 92.5 and 89.7 percentiles respectively - per FotMob.

As such, the evidence is there that should he make the move to Pride Park, he could play a key role in determining the trajectory of Derby's 2024/25 season.