'I'm not convinced' - Sheffield Wednesday told to make clear Liam Cooper decision | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit can't see a future where Liam Cooper remains at Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday are set to be very busy in the upcoming summer transfer window, as the Owls look to retool their squad ahead of a League One return.

In the latest batch of good news to be bestowed upon the Owls, it was revealed that Wednesday won't be subject to a £7,000 weekly wage cap, nor a £7 million seasonal spend. That, plus the waiving of their proposed 15-point deduction to start the season, means that there'll be more of a level playing field next year.

That doesn't mean things will be plain sailing at Hillsborough this summer, though. Sheffield Wednesday lost numerous senior names last summer due to contract breaches and various mismanagement issues that former owner Dejphon Chansiri brought about, so plenty of additions will need to be made.

The club will also have some decisions to make surrounding the futures of some of the players who stayed over the summer or were added throughout the campaign on emergency deals until the end of the season.

Sheffield Wednesday told not to extend Liam Cooper's contract this summer

One of the first free agent signings Sheffield Wednesday made during the past season was Liam Cooper. The 34-year-old had recently left Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia, but was best known for being the captain of Leeds United's Championship-winning campaign in 2019/20.

The 19-time Scottish international was thrown right into the deep end at Hillsborough, though, and game after game in a depleted squad really tested his fitness. Ultimately, he was withdrawn towards the end of the Steel City derby defeat, which confirmed Wednesday's relegation in February, and he wasn't seen for the rest of the season.

Cooper's short-term contract is up this summer, and he's told the club that he'd "love to stay" and that he hopes that he can prove his fitness with a full pre-season behind him.

Unfortunately, Patrick McKenna, FLW's Owls fan pundit, doesn't think that the club should extend the veteran centre-back's contract due to his less-than-ideal injury record.

"Liam Cooper should be a player we are looking to move on from this summer," he said. "A key part of this rebuild will be building a new approach to the squad with the calibre of players we are signing and any resale value they have,

"With this focus on youth, we will need some experience, and there's no doubt that Cooper has that, but I'm not convinced about his injury record.

"If we're going to have players for the upcoming season, I want them to be available for the majority of games, and I'm not sure that he offers that. Instead of retaining him, we should be looking at a younger player who may well give us that game time and who will have more of a resale value."

McKenna has no discontent towards the 34-year-old and appreciates his efforts in a Wednesday shirt at such a difficult time in the club's recent history.

But, ideally, with a larger budget and a wider scope of players to target this summer, they won't need to rely on someone like Cooper to play for them next season.

"I've nothing against him, and when he was fit, he did a good job," McKenna continued.

"He came in as an emergency signing, and we didn't see enough of him, so it's probably for the best that we part ways in the summer. I do wish him well wherever his career takes him next."

Sheffield Wednesday may be able to do better than Liam Cooper this summer

Granted, Sheffield Wednesday shouldn't be getting carried away at all in the wake of the news surrounding the shackles being removed from their restrictions this coming transfer window. They'll still need to be smart with their dealings to remain within financial rulings.

In that sense, perhaps Cooper could be a useful player to have around Hillsborough, even if it is as a mere squad player, as he provides leadership ability that not many have and will also command a low wage.

But, with the centre-back turning 35 weeks into the new season in late August, there will be some expectation for Sheffield Wednesday to start anew and look to build a squad ready for the future.

With Liam Palmer likely to stay next season, too, so he can have a crack at breaking the all-time Wednesday appearance record, Henrik Pedersen arguably has his veteran defender already in the squad, and the squad position that Cooper would be taking up would arguably be better suited towards someone else.

There'll be some internal disappointment that the 34-year-old couldn't get back on the field before the end of the season, but the overall feeling surrounding Cooper's time at Hillsborough will be positive, given his commitment during a difficult time at the club.