According to numerous reports including this from LeedsLive, Leeds United winger Helder Costa has departed on loan with a view to becoming permanent to Al-Ittihad, where he will join up with former coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
Costa was signed by Santo in 2017 when he was coach at Wolverhampton Wanderers in a £13m deal from Monaco. In the summer of 2019 Leeds signed the Angolan on a loan-to-buy deal and he was an integral part of the side that gained promotion from the Championship. In July 2020 the deal was made permanent for £16m. The arrival of Raphinha saw Costa pushed down the pecking order and after only 13 starts in the Premier League he was subsequently loaned out for the season to Spanish side Valencia, in which he again, struggled for game time.
His last appearance for #LUFC was in a 3-0 win over Crewe in the Carabao Cup last Augusthttps://t.co/sHGR6SlIeK
— Leeds United Live (@liveleedsunited) August 7, 2022
He is well known by Nuno Santo as he helped the Portuguese lead Wolves to promotion from the Championship in the 2017/18 season. Nuno was named AI-Ittihad boss last month, eight months after his sacking by Spurs. The Jeddah club, who finished second in last season’s Saudi Professional League, handed their new head coach a contract until 2024.
After it has become clear his game time will be limited under Leeds coach Jesse Marsch it is probably the best for all parties that he moves on, and hopefully he can find the form he was in when he was at Wolves and again in that first season in the Championship for Leeds. The Whites have good winger options in Jack Harrison, Dan James and Luis Sinisterra and that would see Costa far behind in the pecking order.
What do fans think, is it the best move for both parties and should Costa be moved on? Let us know in the comments.
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