Game over for Leeds United forward as Farke explains severing ties with promotion winner

Leeds United have confirmed they have released Helder Costa from the remainder of his contract at Elland Road, freeing up the forward to find a new club.

Costa has spent the past couple of seasons out on loan away from Leeds, first with Valencia and then with Al-Ittihad. Previously, he was part of their squad that won promotion to the Premier League in 2020.

There was still one year remaining on Costa’s contract with Leeds, but a club statement has now confirmed they have terminated his deal, making him a free agent.

The former Wolves winger was yet to be called up by Daniel Farke, who allowed him to train separately from the first team during the summer. In fact, his last Leeds appearance was back in August 2021, when Marcelo Bielsa was still in charge.

Farke said at a Friday press conference: “We were all waiting for a solution. We had open and professional talks about it.

“Helder is a great guy but from both sides, it was clear we wanted to have something new. We wish him all the best.”

Where Costa goes next remains to be seen, but Leeds will not receive a transfer fee for a man they invested around £15m in.

He has left Leeds with a record of 71 appearances and eight goals for the club behind him. Only for Wolves – and not for Benfica, Deportivo, Monaco, Valencia nor Al-Ittihad – has he played in more matches.

Despite that, it was only really in his first season at the club that Costa was used regularly by Leeds, while he has never recaptured the regularity of his goalscoring from his debut season in the Championship with Wolves, whom he also won promotion with in 2018.

By leaving Leeds, Costa has become the latest in a long line of players to move on from the club since their relegation at the end of last season.

Players such as Tyler Adams, Rodrigo Moreno and Tyler Roberts were sold, Adam Forshaw and Joel Robles were released, and a whole host of others left on loan for various top-flight clubs.

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