Noel Whelan has slammed the consistency of Leeds United wide man Helder Costa, insisting that the Portuguese attacker isn’t worth the £15m he will cost the Whites.  

Leeds have signed Costa on a loan-to-buy deal from Wolves, with the 26-year-old set to cost around the £15m mark; a sum that will be paid in instalments.

Yet, he’s managed only four goals across all competitions this season, which has led to Whelan tearing into the winger.

“He has not done enough,” Whelan told Football Insider. “I have seen glimpses of what he could be but £15million is too much for him right now. It is up to him if he is a £15million player in the future.

“He needs consistency in his performances. This is exactly what happened with Jack Harrison last year. 

“We signed him on a loan deal with a view to a permanent when Wolves were in the Premier League. What does that say? You do not let a good player go when you are in the Premier League. They were willing to let him go when they go gained promotion and it tells a story.

“We need consistency from him.”

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Costa’s performances have improved as the season has progressed, and given he’s featured in some capacity in every Championship fixture this season, Marcelo Bielsa is clearly a fan.

With that in mind, we look at why Whelan’s assessment is wide of the mark…

Costa needed time to adapt

 

Bielsa’s demands aren’t easy to adapt to, which make the transition into one of his squads that little bit harder.

Obviously Costa was limited to a place on the bench in the opening month of the season, but he soon worked his way into the starting line-up and has been largely unmoved since.

He’s adapted well and gets through buckets of work at both ends of the field.

Even then, he’s still adapting now, and at the end of this forced postponement, he might come back even better.

Modern market

Another thing to consider when you look at Costa’s £15m price-tag is the modern market, where it is becoming increasingly difficult to get value for money.

Leeds wanted to make a statement in the summer, and they did in the form of Costa, who was a promotion-winner with Wolves and someone Bielsa rated highly.

Whilst Leeds wanted him, Wolves held all the cards here and could demand what they wanted; they are in the Premier League and knew someone in the Championship would stump up the money.

In terms of a modern-day deal for a high-quality Championship signing, £15m is the ballpark.

Recent form

 

Looping back to our first point, Costa is adapting and starting to look the part in the Leeds squad.

He offers great balance to the team on the right and has become a regular feature in the side.

If Leeds were that little bit more efficient in the final third, his goal involvements would be through the roof, with Costa’s ability to pick up clever positions making him a key threat.

For example, in the recent 4-0 win over Hull City, Costa registered an assist, but was so unlucky not to score or add to that assist, with George Long making some good saves to deny him and his teammates.

On another day, in another season, his numbers would be exceptional and Whelan would be raving about a £15m bargain.