During an interview with MOT Leeds News, Paul Robinson has tipped Helder Costa to leave Leeds United permanently next summer. The former goalkeeper believes that the Portuguese has no place in the team and will be offloaded by the Whites next summer when he returns from his loan spell at Valencia.
“They’ll want him off the books, they’ll want money for him but it all depends on how he performs this season. I think they’d want to get around £10million but realistically, it will probably be £6-8million with add-ons.”, said Robinson.
Helder Costa’s Struggles At Leeds United
Formerly of Wolves, Helder Costa was brought into Leeds United back in 2019 on loan in order to aid their promotion campaign. He did not do an exceptional job but his four goals and six assists meant that the winger’s deal at Elland Road was made permanent last summer for a fee of €17 million.
The move turned out to be a disaster as Costa’s one-dimensional style of play saw him struggle in the Premier League, just as he did with Wolves. As a result, he was left behind in the pecking order by the likes of Raphinha and Jack Harrison, with the attacker ending the 2020/21 campaign with a total of just 13 starts in the league.
The 27-year-old was widely expected to leave Leeds United in the summer. But his stay was elongated due to the club’s lack of depth in the attacking unit and it was only until the arrival of Dan James on deadline day when his loan move to Valencia was sanctioned.
Can Helder Costa Revive Himself At Valencia
Helder Costa’s loan move to Valencia was not a surprise for anyone. The attacker clearly did not fit the current setup of Marcelo Bielsa, with the Argentine evidently being a fan of the new signing James.
A move to Valencia, in that regard, is certainly logical. However, it remains unlikely that the Portuguese winger will be able to make any impact in La Liga next season, largely due to lack of game-time.
Indeed, the former Wolves star will have to fight for his place in the first team, and he faces stiff competition from talented wingers like Yunus Musah, Denis Cheryshev and Goncalo Guedes.
It essentially means that Helder Costa was brought into Valencia to offer back-up to their first-team wingers. But Leeds United will certainly be hoping that the forward does make an impact as it would help them bump his price-tag, thus helping their cause.
