Leeds United will be aiming to get rid of some deadwood at Elland Road in the summer, especially if Daniel Farke's men secure promotion up to the Premier League.
Liam Cooper's forlorn expression at the final whistle of the Whites' emphatic second-leg victory against Southampton suggests that the decorated Whites servant will be a likely casualty pushed out of the door in the summer, the German boss giving the 32-year-old a run-out late on in the 4-0 win to allow him to lap up the appreciation of the Leeds masses come full-time.
There will be upgrades already in the mind for the promotion hopefuls to fill the gap of the long-standing member of the Leeds squad exiting, with Joe Rodon an obvious permanent buy the West Yorkshire outfit will be looking to get over the line.
Their success rate with targets could well depend on whether they return to the Premier League or stay put in the Championship, however, with a swoop also being lined up for this exciting centre-back according to reports.
Leeds looking at Gent defender
As per Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Leeds are eyeing up a potential swoop for Gent centre-back Jordan Torunarigha when their rollercoaster season is over, with interest also coming in the form of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
The Nigeria international would cost Farke's Whites in the region of £2.5m to acquire his services from his current Belgian employers, as per Plettenberg, a deal that would, for instance, eclipse the £1.3m spent on current talisman, Crysencio Summerville.
Formerly on the books at Hertha Berlin, Leeds will have to sell the club to Torunarigha so he doesn't just opt to return back to these comforts in the Bundesliga, where he picked up six goals and five assists from 81 games.
The forward-thinking defender could well suit Leeds' style of play, seen in Rodon gradually playing out from the back this season, having amassed an impressive four goals and five assists with Gent over 102 games by being a measured operator on the ball.
It could now be a case of out with the old and in with the new regarding the ex-Hertha Berlin man, with Cooper struggling at points this season when called into action and he could really hinder Leeds back up in the Premier League if kept around.
How Torunarigha compares to Cooper
Described as being "one of the best" defenders in the game by ex-Gent teammate Gift Orban back in September, who further elaborated that the 26-year-old defender is "very good" on the ball alongside his combative duties at the back, Cooper would be bumped down the Whites pecking order even more with Torunarigha's arrival onto the scene.
Comparing the two defenders on FBref, the £2.5m-rated titan would be a smart acquisition to make with his progressive passes statistic over the last year – coming in at five per 90 – even bettering Rodon's 4.35 in contrast despite the wantaway Tottenham Hotspur defender being touted for a move in and around the £10-15m ballpark.
Stat – per 90 mins
Torunarigha
Cooper
Shot-creating actions
1.12
0.51
Passes attempted
62.70
88.47
Pass completion %
83.5%
89.9%
Progressive passes
5.00
4.59
Progressive carries
1.51
0.26
Successful take-ons
0.35
0.13
Touches (attacking penalty area)
0.91
0.76
Tackles
2.46
1.27
Bettering Cooper as well in many key aspects in the table above, surprisingly trumping the 32-year-old in the tackles department to back up Orban's claims of the Gent defender being a well-rounded player, the 6 foot 3 Torunarigha could also be an ideal player to bring in if Leeds cannot strike a permanent deal with Rodon.
It will be an exit tinged with a lot of sadness when Leeds do move on Cooper, but with the likes of Torunarigha available on the cheap, any disappointment about the ageing defender's exit would soon be quelled.
Before any concrete talks take place, however, the Whites – led by 20-goal hero, Summerville – will aim to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking against Southampton to control what deals can and cannot happen.
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