Helder Costa has completed a permanent move to Leeds United, with the winger reportedly costing the Whites a fee of £16m.
Leeds agreed to take Costa on loan from Wolves last summer, with a view to that deal becoming permanent at the conclusion of the 2019/20 season.
The campaign is still to finish due to a near four-month postponement, but Costa’s deal has been announced as a permanent one, with the 26-year-old signing a four-year deal at Elland Road.
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The club have confirmed that news, but not the fee, with Adam Pope at BBC Leeds offering a rough valuation of the finances behind the deal.
On Twitter, Pope confirms that the deal for Costa is around £16m, which makes him the club’s second most expensive signing ever.
Rio Ferdinand, who joined Leeds back in 2000, cost £18m, but nobody has come close to that figure on the back of the club’s decline and long exodus from the Premier League.
This season, Costa has made 43 appearances across all competitions, with the winger scoring four goals and registering five assists.
He’s featured in all-but one fixture this season in some capacity, with the winger forced out of Saturday’s matchday squad at Blackburn Rovers due to a knee injury.
The Verdict
This is a significant deal for Leeds to be completing and a show of faith for Costa.
Leeds’ decline has been well documented, but the fact that they are back fishing in the £16m market for players is a great sign and should the club win promotion back to the Premier League, expect to see these types of deals more often.
Costa has been good this season for Bielsa, but there’s room for improvement, which everyone around Elland Road is going to recognise.
Thoughts? Let us know!