Qatar may be last option for Helder Costa as Leeds United exit not yet on cards
Helder Costa may be running out of options to leave Leeds United this summer, with Qatar potentially offering his last chance to quit Elland Road before the transfer window closes.
The Angolan international joined the ranks at Elland Road in a £15m switch from Wolves in 2020 [Transfermarkt] having spent the season before on loan with Marcelo Bielsa’s side, but hasn’t settled permanently in Yorkshire spending time on loan with both Valencia and Al-Ittihad.
Having returned to Leeds this summer from his loan with the Saudi club, the 29-year-old wants to leave the club and the club wants him to leave [Phil Hay, August 18], but so far this summer they have been unable to find a deal to allow him to depart.
Like so many other players on big contracts, a return to Saudi Arabia has been mooted, however, their transfer window shuts on 7 September and with no suggestion that Costa is close to agreeing on a deal with any of the newly rich clubs, a return there seems out of the question.
The only option left for the winger seems to be a move to Qatar, where the window remains open until 18 September and the cash-rich league contains the only clubs capable of possibly affording the Angolan international’s wages.
Move him on
Leeds need Costa away from Elland Road this summer at the moment by paying his wages they are throwing money away as nobody at the club is at all considering involving the 29-year-old in the first-team setup.
The Whites are blessed with wide options this season, having kept Wilfried Gnonto despite plenty of interest in the summer transfer window, so it would take a huge amount of injuries before Farke even considered possibly picking Costa this season.
Saudi Arabia would have been the perfect fit to offload the winger this year, but that ship appears to have sailed unless an incredibly late bid arrives in the next 24 hours. Costa didn’t exactly pull up trees in his loan switch last year, only scoring three times in 20 games for Al-Ittihad.
The Saudi clubs have been able to buy a greater standard of players this summer than ever before, securing the likes of Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson rather than an out-of-four Championship winger.
Hopefully, Leeds can find a way to offload Costa to a team in Qatar in the next week or so, to not only lighten their wage bill but ensure everyone who remains in Farke’s side are driven towards succeeding with United.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites were willing to allow a midfielder to depart Elland Road on deadline day