Joel Cooper Secures Pre-Contract Move to Coleraine

Linfield forward Joel Cooper has finalized a pre-contract agreement to transfer to Coleraine at the conclusion of the current season. Cooper became eligible to engage with other clubs after entering the final six months of his existing contract with Linfield. It is understood that a long-term arrangement with the Bannsiders was reached this week. The 28-year-old winger has demonstrated exceptional form for the Blues throughout this season, contributing 11 league goals. His performance has been instrumental in helping David Healy’s squad establish an 11-point lead at the top of the Irish Premiership. Following Tuesday’s 1-0 victory over Dungannon Swifts, a match in which Cooper scored the winning goal, Healy commented that he had “absolutely no doubt” regarding the player’s future. Cooper, whose career also includes stints with Glenavon and Oxford United, has earned three Irish Premiership titles with Linfield and scored in the 2021 Irish Cup final. Coleraine, currently ranked eighth in the Irish Premiership, announced on Thursday that local property developer Henry Ross has become their majority owner, following a “significant investment”.