Leeds United: Liam Cooper in talks to join foreign club after Hull City collapse | OneFootball

The defender was said to be on the cusp of returning to the Tigers this summer before a move collapsed

Former Leeds United defender Liam Cooper is said to have opened talks about a move to Bulgarian outfit CSKA Sofia.

That’s according to the latest update from Pete O’Rourke at Football Insider, after the 33-year-old centre back left Elland Road this summer at the end of his contract.

There was plenty of speculation about where the Scottish international’s future lied during the summer transfer window, with a number of Championship clubs said to be keen.

A move to former side Hull City looked to be the closest to getting over the line before last Friday’s transfer deadline, but a deal collapsed despite all parties reportedly being keen on the move.

CSKA Sofia open talks about Liam Cooper move

A move abroad looks like it could well be on the cards for Cooper, after beginning negotiations with the Bulgarian side.

Despite the transfer window shutting on September 2nd for clubs in the country, Cooper is still available to negotiate a deal, due to the fact he hasn’t had a contract since his Leeds United deal ended on June 30th.

If the move were to be completed, it would be the first time that the centre back has played overseas, with a near-decade at Leeds preceded by time at Chesterfield, Hull City and Carlisle United.

CSKA have had a poor start to the season in the Parva Liga, with just one win from their opening six matches, which leaves them second-bottom in the top division at this moment in time.

The club could benefit from a player of Cooper’s experience to command the backline, with the capital city club shipping nine goals in their opening six matches.

Liam Cooper Hull City deal falls through

It looked for all the world that Cooper was set to continue life in the Championship this season, with a number of clubs said to be interested in his services after his Elland Road departure.

The defender was seen with Tigers owner Acun Ilicali in the Turk’s box during a clash with Millwall last month, with Mike White of BBC Radio Humberside claiming that a deal was agreed between club and player.

That confidence was deemed to be misplaced though, with ongoing talks grinding to a halt last Thursday - just a day before the transfer window slammed shut - with the deal never being completed.

The move to the MKM Stadium would have marked an emotional return for Cooper, who started out with the Humberside outfit as a teenager, before going on to make 11 league appearances for the club.

After departing for Chesterfield, the centre back played two seasons in League Two before being snapped up by Leeds United in the summer of 2014, where he would go on to play for a further ten years.

Blackburn Rovers were another side who were keen on bringing Cooper to the club this summer, with a number of other unnamed Championship clubs also said to have been tempted to make a move for the 33-year-old in recent weeks.

Once again talks broke down with Rovers with no deal getting over the line, as the Scot starts to search further afield to find his new club, with Bulgaria potentially being his latest destination.