Marcelo Bielsa verdict on Liam Cooper highlights why Sheffield Wednesday are interested in transfer
Sheffield Wednesday are waiting to find out if they will be given the green light to bring in any free agent signings amid their interest in Liam Cooper.
With Sheffield Wednesday waiting to find out if they will be given the green light by the English Football League to bring in some free agent signings, manager Henrik Pedersen has confirmed Liam Cooper is on their radar.
A meeting is set to take place between the Owls and the EFL on Monday to determine whether Pedersen will be able to add to his depleted squad. The Dane has a limited number of options available to him after a nightmare summer saw the club say farewell to a number of key players.
As reported by The Star as far back as August, former Leeds United centre-back Cooper has been of interest to Wednesday. It was understood he was close to agreeing a deal with the club before the EFL imposed more sanctions on them to block any permanent incomings.
Since the end of last season, Wednesday have only been able to bring in three new faces - Ethan Horvath, Harry Amass and Joe Lumley - each of whom arrived on loan. Lumley was signed on a seven-day emergency loan last month after Horvath was sent-off in the 2-1 defeat to Charlton Athletic to leave the Owls without a senior goalkeeper.
With Wednesday anxiously waiting to find out if they will get the green light from the EFL, Pedersen has confirmed Cooper is on a list of targets.
“He is one of them,” said the Owls manager. “We have more on the list, but if you don't know what you can pay in salary, what you can budget for, it is difficult.
“But we have different lists with different categories and we will see what happens. We hope for the best.”
With Di’Shon Bernard still sidelined and Ernie Weaver set to miss the rest of the season, Wednesday, just as they are in most areas, are light on numbers at centre-back. Pedersen is continuously having to rely on Liam Palmer, Dominic Iorfa and Max Lowe to make up the back-three, meaning they are having to work tirelessly.
The prospect of adding Cooper to the ranks, though, would give Pedersen another option to consider. And if former Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa’s opinion of Cooper is anything to go by, he is just the sort of character Wednesday need at this moment in time.
Bielsa hails Cooper’s character
"The fact that he represents his team-mates is by itself a virtue," Bielsa said of Cooper, speaking back in 2019. "It’s not up to me to describe the virtues the players recognised in him when they chose him, but I can tell you what I'm impressed about.
"You can't find a better professional than him. He feels love from his profession apart from the fact it’s his job.
"He is generous and prioritises the needs of his team-mates before his own needs. He’s always willing to help the others rather than asking for help.
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"He is always very present in times of adversity and he is very discreet when the team is successful. He doesn’t like the notoriety."
Cooper, who played under Bielsa more times than he has under any other manager during his career, would bring a wealth of Championship experience to Hillsborough, making more than 200 appearances at this level.
The centre-back, who turned 34 in August, has been a free agent since leaving CSKA Sofia at the end of July. He made 27 appearances for the Bulgarian club, scoring one goal.