- Two SA clubs want to sign him and immediately loan him out due to foreign quota restrictions
- Three Zambian clubs are also targeting him
- Player’s agent reiterates that Cooper will not be joining a local club
BONGANI MALUNGA
Zebras midfielder Mothusi Cooper has been declared a free agent after successfully winning his case against his former employers Lusaka Dynamos. Cooper had elected to terminate his contract with the club using the “just cause” clause following a wage dispute in which he had not been paid for more than three months.
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Players’ Status Committee presided over the case and they delivered their judgement last Thursday. The judgement has rendered the player a free agent and he will now be able to negotiate a contract with potential suitors, the agent reiterated that the player is not considering a local move as previously reported by this publication.
“He was declared a free agent last week. He can now join any team of his choice. We have just started talking to a host of clubs. All these talks are geared towards finalizing a move in the January transfer window. He is not considering any local clubs,” said Moipone.
Cooper’s agent Bakang Moipone told Gazette Sport that the player has numerous offers from South Africa, Zambia, Turkey and Belgium.
Sekhukhune United and Supersport United have declared their interest in the player according to Moipone. Sekhukhune’s assistant coach Thabo Sinong is a keen admirer of Cooper having faced the player at under 20 level.
Supersport initially wanted to sign Cooper after he impressed their scouts in the 2019 COSAFA Cup tournament, the Pretoria based club failed to sign him as his then club Township Rollers placed a P2 million price tag on the player. Supersport deemed the price too high and backed away from the deal.
“They have been following him for a while. Both South African clubs want to sign him and immediately loan him out because of foreign quota (of only five foreign players) which both clubs have exceeded for this season. These teams want to sign him outright, no assessments or trials have been lined up, they know a lot about him,” the agent added.
In Zambia Cooper has caught the eye of Zambian champions ZESCO United. Other Zambian clubs such as Zanaco FC and Nkana are also keen. Moipone also stated that they cannot rule out a move to Europe as first division clubs in Turkey and Belgium have also made official offers.
The player is currently spoilt for choice with a handful of contract offers, Moipone stated that Cooper will take his time to choose the best offer on the table.