Helder Costa

[Metro1962]

Leeds United have completed the signing of Wolves winger Helder Costa for a fee understood to be about £16m.

The 26-year-old Portugal international, who has been on loan at Elland Road since last summer, has agreed a four-year contract.

He has made 43 appearances for Leeds this season, scoring four goals.

The Championship leaders need a maximum of 10 points from their five remaining games to be certain of automatic promotion to the Premier League.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53326603

[The Subhuman]

I wonder if that's installments or a lump sum, I suspect the former

[gessa]

I wonder if that's installments or a lump sum, I suspect the former

Read elsewhere earlier, 4 installments
And the fee is dependent on what we achieve.

[The Subhuman]

Do-able then, not an issue if we reach the Prem as 15M doesn't buy much these days ...Still think we have a handful of possible prem quality youngsters coming through which should save us money.

[Ratscoot]

A bit underwhelmed by this announcement, think he’s done ok at times but never set the world a light a bit like Jackie Harrison’s first season so hopefully next season is his time to shine

[The Subhuman]

Started late this season IIRC...

[dezzy]

We knew this was coming, Costa has been a let down overall, we could do worse than him and Harrison on the wings next season, I am excited to see who comes in as our striker and 10, two quality additions could help us get more from both

[Cjay]

Been a bit disappointed in Costa, he is a player who not many years ago people thought would go to the very top.

Its only a game of course but Fifa had his potential rating at the same level Ben White is now which shows how highly rated he was.

Wolves fans did say he hadnt been the same player for a few years, seems they were right.

However as the clip shows when he gets going and has some space he is as good as anyone in the league at carrying the ball at pace, not something we have many players who can do.

MB has openly said the entire style we play hinders Costa as it denies him the space he thrives on. Hopefully if promoted he will be able to find a bit more space in a league that wont treat us with as much fear as this one does.

[Leeds1000]

Can't knock AR for putting his money up. The games i have seen he can be frustrating to watch, but i guess you can say that about Leeds in general when it come to chances converted. He's coming into his prime so hopefully there's plenty more to come.

[mothbanquet]

To add to the great comments both pro, anti and indifferent to Costa, we must also consider that while some players (Klich, Phillips) improve more quickly than others (Harrison, Ayling), some of the legends Bielsa has created have taken even longer than two seasons to reach their potential. The reasons for this are many, varied and complex but it's clear to see.

Obviously I'm not claiming Costa will become a legend by any means, but the point is I strongly feel there is more yet to come from him. This is only his first season with us after all, and after writing off Harrison at the end of last season I've had to eat my own words this season. But they were tasty words and I'm happy to chow down.

[leedsalex]

Waste of money in my opinion,
Orta to blame again, with the August situation to come where we may have to pay more. And all this without even knowing where we are going to play next season.
I dont want to think what is going to happen if we fail to win promotion. We need to get rid of Orta at the end of the season.

[Cjay]

That Helder Costa is the one who Wolves had a few years ago

The one who top teams were looking at after his 1st season at Wolves.

Brilliant performance.

Pace, skill, work rate, end product and fantastic use of the ball ( managing to create 4 chances and maintain an 89% pass accuracy is superb)

Really chuffed for him, under immense pressure, thats how you start to justify your price tag.

More please HC

[Norm]

I agree with Cjay - I haven't seen him play for Leeds (apart from the clip now, thanks vm) but when he was at Wolves in the early days he was brilliant - I still don't know why they let him go but I'm glad they did. With him and a half-game Pablo we've got something else, in addition to the great Klich and all the other assets we have, I think we're a bit special, OK a lot special.

[Norm]

Maybe, just maybe, now that his 4 years is assured, he feels part of the family - I. for one, am glad to have him with us.
He's excellent and will be well-motivated I'm sure - wait for fireworks similar to the Stoke game.

[1964white]

Permanent deal, goal and an assist. What a week.

Helder Costa vs. Stoke City

89.7% pass accuracy
42 touches
26/29 successful passes
4 chances created
4 touches in opposition box
2/3 successful take-ons
2 times fouled
1 goal
1 assist
1 shot on-target

[Irish Ian]

Winning that penalty turned the game last night, then he showed a cool head in the box to poke home the second.

He has shown glimpses of his this season and lets hope a contract, the feeling thst he now belongs will allow him to be a bit more consistent.

Of course it us a fact that most wingers will struggle for consistency.

[AcrossThePondAsh]

From the YEP's Jamie Kemble:

"Costa made it plain from the outset of the summer that he saw no future for himself at Leeds and the club agreed. Farke did not see the winger in his first team plans for the Championship season, had no intention of including him in his squad list and therefore decided that Costa should train separately at Thorp Arch. He was joined briefly by Willy Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra in training away from the senior side before they were reintroduced, although Sinisterra did then make a deadline day escape to Bournemouth. Costa has since joined in with the Under 21s’ training sessions under Michael Skubala’s watch."

"If a move to the likes of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia and Qatar does not materialise this month then Leeds are expected to come to terms with Costa on a severance deal that will make him a free agent, bringing to an end a four-year stint. Costa joined initially on loan in July 2019 and made his move from Wolverhampton Wanderers permanent the following summer when promotion to the Premier League was secured. He penned a four-year contract in 2020 and played 22 times in the top flight under Marcelo Bielsa before being loaned out to Valencia and Saudi side Al-Ittihad for the past two seasons respectively."

Source: https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/ ... es-4284796

[andrewjohnsmith]

He's an embarrassment. If he put his head down and made an effort, Farke would include him in the squad.

Obviously not a professional at all. And now he can't even find another club. What a joke. Needs to get the f out of here.

[The Subhuman]

He's an embarrassment. If he put his head down and made an effort, Farke would include him in the squad.

Obviously not a professional at all. And now he can't even find another club. What a joke. Needs to get the f out of here.

Takes two to tango, and it's really the employers job to sort it out. He can't get his head down to play if he's frozen out..

[PhoenixUnited]

Costa has a contract in place so why should he walk away from it? No one forced Leeds United to give him a 4 year contract and then declared him surplus a year later shipping him out to Valencia in Spain. Personally, I never rated Costa as I thought he was a distinctly "powder puff" player i.e. not terribly effective and his record of 7 goals in 65 appearances shows this up. Some will argue that he played a part in the promotion winning squad but I still reckon the Wolves laughed all the way to the bank when Victor Orta & Co coughed up £15m or so to sign him up, making yet another very expensive mistake. Hardly set the World on fire since we signed him and worth tuppence in the Transfer Market I would think. It's a shame some Saudi Arabian outfit hasn't come in for him.

However, it is not his Costa's fault that the Club no longer wants him. It is a shame that no other club seems interested in his services but such is life. To be fair to him he hasn't downed tools; he turns up to work as required.

So the only options left are that he runs down the remainder of his contract - to June 2024 I think - or Leeds United work out a pay off with him and show him the door. Time to sort it out and move on I think