Helder Costa training on his own at Leeds United, ‘simply no way’ back under Daniel Farke amid ‘strange’ verdict – Phil Hay
There is “simply no way” that Helder Costa can be re-integrated into the Leeds United side under Daniel Farke despite still being at the club, according to Phil Hay.
The Athletic journalist told The Square Ball on 25 September that the Whites forward is training on his own and will “most likely” leave on a free transfer at the end of his contract, amid a “strange” situation where the 29-year-old was once heavily involved in the first-team but has now been “so anonymous for so long”.
The 29-year-old has been on loan for the past two seasons, at Valencia then Al-Ittihad, and contrary to expectations didn’t secure a return to Saudi Arabia this summer, so may now face a contract termination or a final six-month temporary move in January.
Hay said (31m): “The expectation was that he would go. Farke said himself Costa had said that he wanted to leave, hence why he wasn’t involved at all in the summer.
“There’s simply no way that he can be re-integrated now. He hasn’t trained through preseason, he isn’t familiar with what Farke’s doing, he’s been training on his own.
“There was obviously the Turkish window as well which would have been an option. We all expected that he probably would go back to Saudi but nothing has developed here.
“One of a handful of things is going to have to happen here. Either they terminate his contract, or when they get round to January they find him somewhere to go for six months so he can burn down what’s left of his deal and move on. Or he sits tight until the end of the season and moves on when his contract runs out.
“It’s a strange one Costa really, because he’s been so anonymous for so long you almost feel like he’s been a waste of money, but he was relatively influential in the [Marcelo] Bielsa season when they were promoted, and he was heavily involved in what went on that year.
“But I suppose Leeds went up and then came down and Costa looks like he will most likely move on for a free transfer at some point, so it’s not particularly one that’s worked.”
Ship sailed
Farke doesn’t seem to have any need for a player of Costa’s profile thanks to his current attacking players starting to click on a more regular basis.
Unless the hierarchy can agree a deal with the Angola international to end his contract for less than the sum of his remaining wages it looks like he will probably stay at the club without playing for a season.
A move before the transfer windows across Europe and the Middle East closed would have made most sense for everyone involved, but with those opportunities lost it looks like a matter of waiting out the remaining months.
Given he made a total of 69 appearances for Leeds United across his first two seasons at the club it is an odd that his standing at Elland Road has been reduced so far in the time since.
But in light of how much has changed since he was last a going concern in the senior squad it is perhaps stranger that he is still connected to the club at all.
Since he only turns 30 in January he still has potentially years left in his playing career, but it doesn’t look like there is any chance of that being at Leeds.
In other Leeds United news, the 49ers have launched a move to appoint multiple new figures ready for the January transfer window.