Blackburn Rovers remain deadlocked in talks to sign Liam Cooper as a free agent, The Lancashire Telegraph understands.

There was optimism that a deal for the 32-year-old could be agreed after talks at the end of last week. However, discussions have continued and an agreement is yet to be reached.

Rovers are the only Championship club yet to make a senior addition and need to bolster their defensive options. With three weeks until the season begins, Hayden Carter and Dom Hyam are the only centre-backs available to John Eustace with second-tier experience.

Last week, The LT reported that Cooper was prepared to take a pay cut to move to Ewood Park. He has been offered a one-year deal by Leeds United but with the understanding he wouldn't be a first-choice pick.

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Cooper wants to play and therefore was happy to reduce his salary to join Blackburn Rovers, who are working with a limited budget this summer.

Rovers' board are concerned about signing an ageing defender on a multi-year deal. It was a stumbling block in negotiations with Danny Batth last summer and the aftermath of Daniel Ayala's three-year contract is still being felt.

Cooper has played an average of 20 matches in the last four seasons, with three of those in the Premier League. That record has been considered in negotiations.

However, to mitigate that risk, a deal has been proposed that would structure Cooper's salary with a higher appearance fee and a lower basic salary, understood to be around a third of what he earned at Elland Road.

That would be part of a one-year deal, with a second year triggered if he makes a set number of appearances. This is not an uncommon structure in modern football, especially for those entering the final throws of their career.

In essence, if Cooper plays regularly and helps Rovers on the pitch, he'd be rewarded. If injuries take their toll and the move doesn't work out, he'd earn far less, mitigating the risk to the club.

However, the figures in that proposal have not been agreed upon. Therefore, a deal remains in the balance. The move is not dead, by any means, but there will need to be further compromise from either end to make it happen.

Other clubs remain interested in Cooper, though Rovers are front of the queue at the time of writing. Staying at Leeds remains an option, though Cooper wants to play regular football.

There has been no further developments on Kyle McFadzean's proposed return to Rovers. It now looks increasingly unlikely that he'll pen fresh terms, as the weeks in pre-season tick by.

Eustace has spoken openly about Rovers' need to make additions to bolster their current squad. The head coach has cited 'four or five quality players' to add to his ranks, which have been filled out with Academy talent in pre-season.

Those players will again take to the pitch on Saturday when Rovers face Nurnberg in Austria.