Ben Davies has been linked with a move away from Rangers whilst January saw Michael Beale having to fend off rumours about a bid for Millwall’s Jake Cooper.
The 6ft 6inch tall giant has been a stalwart for Millwall as he closes in on 300 appearances but things could have been different if Steven Gerrard – and Michael Beale – had got their way in 2018.
A reported £3m offer was knocked back by the Championship outfit but Jake Cooper’s name has been mentioned on an almost annual basis.
When the gaffer hinted (openly admitted) that a centre-half would be a priority this summer, Jake Cooper to Rangers was immediately front and centre again with the belief being that his contract was soon to expire.
Is Jake Cooper a realistic option for Rangers this summer?
Unfortunately, for those thinking that Rangers were finally about to get their man and get him for a bargain, the player himself has revealed recently that he won’t be walking away from The New Den for nothing, this summer at least, via London News Online:
“I’ve got a year left in the summer.
“I know a lot of people get confused. It’s because Millwall don’t release (publicly) any years on their contract terms. People just assume it was three years.
“I signed a four-year deal. I’m very much a Millwall player for a good amount of time still.
“We’ll see what happens in the summer, in terms of what happens this season and what the club are looking to do moving forward. The season is up in the air, we’re obviously not sure what is happening.”
At 28-years old and a natural left footer, Cooper is similar in style to the much-missed Filip Helander and would provide excellent balance to Connor Goldson.
Cooper is just as comfortable with the ball at his feet though and it’s easy to see why he might be considered as a replacement for Ben Davies if we can recoup the reported £4m fee that we paid to Liverpool.
The reality is, despite just having a year left at Millwall, the towering stopper would demand a similar sum, but if the Lions miss out on promotion, Rangers would be in a strong position to negotiate a deal with the defender’s contract running out.
Michael Beale has managed to get Rangers scoring more goals but we are conceding one a game, that simply isn’t good enough if we want to win titles and, more importantly, beat Celtic.
If the Gers boss was able to add Cooper and Jack Butland to the rear guard there would, instantly, be a more physical presence.
There would also be the option of playing with a back three and allowing Leon King to rotate with John Souttar on the right of the three.
Davies has deserved criticism for his recent individual errors even if his performances have largely been solid but, if he is to leave, Cooper’s name has to be top of the list to replace him and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he is.
All we need to do now is hope that Millwall lose their last game of the season and miss out on the play-offs for the Premier League.
