Plymouth Argyle will be looking at Sheffield United with mixed feelings | OneFootball

Michael Cooper continues to excel at Bramall Lane, which must leave the Green Army with a sense of pride and regret

Michael Cooper’s future was one of the main talking points at Home Park throughout the summer, as the Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper mulled over the best decision for his career over the off-season.

Having reportedly rejected the offer of a new deal from the Pilgrims, the doubt over the academy graduates association with the club continued to linger, with a move to Sheffield United agreed the week after the 24/25 season got underway.

With a reputation as one of the best goalkeepers outside of the Premier League, it will have come as no surprise to see the Devonian thrive in his new surroundings at Bramall Lane, with just seven goals conceded in his 16 appearances for his new employers in the Championship to date.

While all associated with Argyle will no doubt be filled with a sense of pride as one of their own thrives at the top of the division, there will still be a sense of disappointment about how things unravelled over the summer.

Michael Cooper continues to catch the eye after Sheffield United move

Having played a huge part in Argyle’s success over recent seasons, it was no surprise that there was plenty of interest in Cooper this summer, as he looked to end a 15-year association with his boyhood club.

Ever since he came up through the Greens’ academy there was belief that the shot-stopper could go all the way to the top, and over the past few months he has proven that even further, his a number of match-defining performances between the sticks.

You only have to go back to late November to one of his most eye-catching displays as a Blade, as he kept out Patrick Roberts’ penalty to deny Sunderland the opener in a top of the table clash at Bramall Lane, before Tom Davies won all three points for United late on.

While that will have been a display that got tongues wagging, Cooper has been doing much the same throughout the campaign, with a save percentage of 84.6% the highest in the league, and tops former England squad member James Trafford in that regard.

Further stats from FBRef prove that the 25-year-old is outperforming what is expecting of him regarding quality of chance given up, with the Blades thought to have been saved from conceding 4.6 goals throughout the season as a result of their glovesman’s antics.

Plymouth Argyle must look back on Michael Cooper deal with regret

There is no doubt that Cooper will grace the top flight before too long, which will likely bring more income to Argyle in terms of add-ons to the deal in the summer, but that initial feeling of being undercut for their goalkeeper must be more prominent than ever before right now.

It was reported that the Yorkshire side paid just £2 million for their new recruit in the summer, with a further £2 million given to the Greens if certain clauses in the contract were met, but even at a grand total of £4 million, that deal now looks to be significantly less than Cooper’s market value.

You only have to look at the aforementioned Trafford to see how highly valued goalkeepers are, with Newcastle United said to have table a bid in the region of £15 million for the Burnley shot-stopper, with Cooper likely to be worth a similar amount just months after his Home Park departure.

As the Pilgrims languish near the bottom of the table, there will be plenty of regrets of letting one of their stars leave this summer, with his unbelievable reflexes and shot-saving ability earning his side plenty of points in his time as a Green, and to watch him do it elsewhere in the division will be a bitter pill to swallow.

With a trip to Bramall Lane on the horizon, the Green Army will be seeing what they are missing out on in the flesh, with Cooper likely to receive a warm welcome from the club that he means so much to, who will only wish him well as he inevitably heads to the top.