Helder Costa left Wolves to join Leeds United on a season-long loan and will turn the move permanent for £15m this summer. He’ll be Leeds’ most expensive signing since Robbie Keane joined from Inter Milan for £16.2m in 2001, but how has he fared at Elland Road?
The 26-year-old has made 40 appearances in all competitions for Leeds, scoring four goals and making five assists. As per WhoScored, Costa has contributed six goals in 31 Championship games, making 34 chances and 53 successful dribbles (47.3%).
He’s completed 80% of his 815 passes, whipped in 89 crosses with 7.8% accuracy, won 18 aerial duels (28.6%), had 55 shots with 30.9% hitting the target, blocked 26 passes/crosses/shots, made 19 clearances, won 41 free-kicks and averaged a tackle (55) or interception (12) every 37 minutes.
Costa has come in for criticism from Noel Whelan, however, due to inconsistent form and lowly goal output. He told Football Insider in November 2019 that the 26-year-old “hasn’t looked like a £15million player” and again told Football Insider in March that “he needs consistency in his performances”.
Costa has lost the ball through an unsupported touch or dispossession 144 times – once every 17 minutes in the Championship. He’s scored from only 5.4% of his shots and made only seven accurate crosses. At Wolves, the Portuguese international contributed 38 goals in 109 games and had a hand in more than 10 goals in both his Championship campaigns, but he’s struggled to repeat the feat at Leeds.
Before the season was postponed due to the Covid-19 virus, Costa had failed to score in 2020 and only has one assist to his name since November 2019. He has a lot of improving to do when the campaign resumes.
