Leeds could soon unleash a Cooper heir in teen “monster”

Leeds United have invested plenty of funds in their playing squad over the last year, spanning three transfer windows of vast overhaul.

With two of those entrusted to Jesse Marsch, the American manager made some outstanding blunders when scouring the market, questionably advised by the since-departed Victor Orta.

Players such as Brenden Aaronson, Georgino Rutter and Max Wober were all brought in for huge fees, with only one still actually at the club. It is a testament to their scattergun approach that they find themselves in their current predicament, once again languishing in the Championship and seeking promotion.

With Daniel Farke the man entrusted to hopefully deliver on that goal, having reinvested some of the funds gained from their numerous sales this summer, he will hope to get their form back on track after a patchy start.

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However, the squad he inherited has not been completely gutted, with some remnants from previous regimes actually set to aid in his pursuit not just of a Premier League return but also long-term success.

The likes of Wilfried Gnonto and the aforementioned Frenchman are expected to be key components of an attack that could terrorise this level.

And yet, aside from those stars, there are a few lesser-known assets that could soon be set to flourish, with the backline a particular area of strength.

How good is Joe Rodon?

However, it will take some doing to usurp their current centre-back pairing, with Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk unlikely to be broken up aside from injury.

The Welsh international has joined on a loan spell from Tottenham Hotspur, bringing a wealth of experience given he shone last season on loan with Rennes. He featured 16 times in Ligue 1, maintaining an admirable 6.88 average match rating buoyed by his 90% pass accuracy and 3.4 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

So, to see him drop into the second tier of English football marked a huge coup, with the former Norwich City manager having lauded him recently: “I think he was quite impressive and we had time to speak and work with him, also individually on our tactical approach

“We got the feeling he was prepared and we don’t have to speak about his quality, he knows this league inside out, he was rock solid when he played in this league and that was the reason Tottenham spent so much money on him.

“He has unbelievable pace and it is good when we have to defend that high in the field, it helps. He brings also aerial threat into our game, we have many smaller, not the tallest players, (it’s) also important for us in terms of set-pieces he is strong in duals and build up passes in his technique.”

Already he has enjoyed a fine start to life in Yorkshire too, with his 7.13 average rating making him the seventh-best performer within Farke’s squad.

The emergence of the 25-year-old titan came at the perfect time too to coincide with the injury sustained by Liam Cooper, who seems set to endure another campaign blighted by ailments.

A long-term successor is needed for the experienced Scotsman, who boasts 266 appearances for Leeds. With Rodon merely a temporary measure, he is unlikely to be that man.

So, perhaps delving into the younger options at Thorp Arch could be a wise move for Farke, to begin nurturing one young defender in particular and getting him to the level needed to step up next year.

Who is Diogo Monteiro?

If anyone is seemingly ready to make that step up, it is surely Diogo Monteiro, who only traded senior football for the Whites’ youth setup in January.

As part of that tiny aforementioned group of Marsch success stories, the £1m expended to bring in the 18-year-old marked an essentially risk-free investment, with his potential exceedingly high.

Football Scout Ron Dor even suggested the teenage star was a “beast in the making”, highlighting his physical prowess for such a young age by branding him a “monster”.

With seven senior appearances for FC Servette, who are a mainstay in the Swiss top flight, his pedigree is showcased. This is further emphasised by the fact that he is already captain of his youth team at international level too.

Although it is a small dataset to analyse, his sole start in the Super League from last campaign marked just a glimmer of the stunning skillset he could bring to England. Helping keep a clean sheet against Young Boys, the youngster made two tackles, won six of the ten duels he competed in and made one interception, via Sofascore.

This fed into his 7.4 rating, which was arguably upheld more by his ball-playing assets than these defensive figures. Enjoying 88 touches of the ball, he maintained an 87% pass accuracy, hitting the target with seven long balls and even recording one key pass.

It was a true masterclass from a man who seems set to be the quintessential modern-day centre-back, and should he translate this kind of quality into Farke’s senior squad, his value could be set to skyrocket.

However, he faces a tough task to usurp Cooper though, whose standout season in a White shirt arguably came during the 2020/21 term.

Enjoying their first season back in the top flight for over 16 years, the former Hull City star managed a 7.10 average rating, with his 86% pass accuracy feeding into his 2.4 interceptions, 2.7 tackles and 2.7 clearances, via Sofascore.

The club captain was immense, but already Monteiro has shown flashes of both the quality and leadership that has seen Cooper so revered around Yorkshire.

It will not be an easy process to replace him when he does decide to call time on his tenure at Elland Road, which has admittedly taken a blow in recent years due to his injury troubles, but in their young Portuguese star, they at least have some promise that his replacement is not far around the corner.

The hope is that he can enjoy the next year alongside both him and Rodon, absorbing as much information and experience from them as possible in order to become even better once he gets that chance in the senior squad. The opportunity will surely soon arise if he remains patient.