Latest on Leeds United's 'last man standing' and what Daniel Farke has had to say as deadline looms - YEP 7/9/23
Helder Costa is the last man standing in Leeds United’s group of summer transfer want-aways and although deadline day came and went last week, his exit is still inevitable.
By Graham Smyth
There are options remaining for Costa in terms of a transfer
to another club because although most countries’ deadlines have passed, windows
in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Greece, Australia and Qatar remain open. Costa is
thought to have had some interest in Saudi Arabia this summer but Saudi clubs
have only a few hours left of their window, with a 10pm deadline looming
tonight. An added complication is Costa’s whereabouts – he’s on international
duty with Angola right now preparing for today’s Africa Cup of Nations
qualifier against Madagascar at Estádio Da Tundavala in Lubango, Angola.
Costa made it plain from the outset of the summer that he
saw no future for himself at Leeds and the club agreed. Farke did not see the
winger in his first team plans for the Championship season, had no intention of
including him in his squad list and therefore decided that Costa should train
separately at Thorp Arch. He was joined briefly by Willy Gnonto and Luis
Sinisterra in training away from the senior side before they were reintroduced,
although Sinisterra did then make a deadline day escape to Bournemouth. Costa
has since joined in with the Under 21s’ training sessions under Michael
Skubala’s watch.
Farke appreciated Costa’s honesty in a summer when others
waited to make their intentions apparent.
“Helder, it's clear,” he said.
"So we were quite open. He was quite open, he wants to
leave the club and there will be a decision. So, more or less, from the
beginning of pre-season he was not in our plans and we were not in his plan so
it's fair to think there will be a solution.”
