During an interview with Football Insider, Noel Whelan has opened up on Helder Costa’s future at Leeds United. The former professional footballer believes the club had overpaid to secure the services of the Portuguese winger last summer and envisions a potential move away from Elland Road.
“It seems like a bit of a waste of money right now from what we put into him and what we’re getting out of him. I don’t think anyone’s really trusting him, even for the short amount of time he comes on the field, he’s not shown enough and could be sold, in my opinion.”, Whelan told Football Insider.
Helder Costa’s Struggles At Leeds United This Season
Helder Costa’s move to Elland Road was made permanent last summer for a fee of £16 million. He was brought in from Wolves to keep the club’s offensive harmony intact, with the winger notably starring in the Championship-winning campaign in 2019/20, being involved in ten goals.
Costa even showed a lot of promising signs during the early stages of the campaign, combining well with the likes of Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison. His form did eventually die down, forcing Marcelo Bielsa to try out his options including Raphinha.
It was the turning point of Leeds’ campaign as the new signing from Rennes fired in immediately. His quality on the flanks was noticeable, making Costa quite obsolete as far as Bielsa’s attacking options are concerned.
The Portuguese winger has indeed found it difficult to get the nod ahead of his Brazilian teammate, primarily due to his lack of productivity and a rather one-sided style of play. As a result, the 27-year-old has mustered only eight starts so far, the majority of which have come during the early stages of the campaign.
Should Leeds United Offload Helder Costa?
Helder Costa certainly has the talent and on his day, he could become a real scourge for the defenders. Unfortunately, the former Wolves winger has never really shown the consistency nor productivity during his time in the Premier League. It doesn’t bode well for a club that strongly relies on those two qualities.
In contrast, the Whites have had a meteoric success with Raphinha, who is already becoming one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League. Additionally, they also boast the services of Ian Poveda as an alternative, with the 21-year-old showing much more promise than Costa, especially from his cameos from the bench.
Therefore, a move away from Elland Road does make sense for the Portuguese winger as Bielsa looks to overhaul his offensive unit and add more quality to the ranks. Getting rid of fringe players like Costa and Tyler Roberts, in that regard, could go a long way in helping the Argentine build a better, more productive attack next season.
