Exclusive: Leeds close to sealing £3m deal as PL player agent in Thorp Arch talks

Founder & Managing Director AUTHORITY Former chief correspondent at Evening Standard, Goal and Press Association with nearly three decades in national, regional and digital news and sports journalism. Wayne directs the network’s news strategy and high-level operations. FOCUS Editorial direction for the 11-site network and newsroom management. THE BRIEF Wayne oversees the network’s editorial standards across the network. He provides the final sign-off on all headline scoops, ensuring content across all platforms meets the standards required for a high-velocity newsroom.

Published on:

02 Jul 2019, 1:30 am

By Wayne Veysey

Leeds United are close to making Helder Costa their third senior signing of the summer after his agent visited Thorp Arch to seal his loan move from Wolves, Football Insider understands.

The Whites announced the arrivals of Manchester City winger Jack Harrison and Brighton defender Ben White, both on loan, yesterday as they got their summer business underway.

A Leeds source has told Football Insider the club are on the verge of completing the headline signing of Costa after he cleared out his locked at the Premier League club last week and bid farewell to his teammates.

The Portugal international's representative has been at United's Thorp Arch headquarters in recent days to thrash out the terms of the deal, which will see the Championship club pay a loan fee of around £2million as well as pay the cost of his wages, around £20,000-a-week, for the coming campaign.

In addition to these £3million costs, Leeds are also set to pay a bonus to the player and Wolves if they secure promotion next season.

The deal will include a "solid" option to buy for Leeds as they get first refusal on signing the winger on a permanent transfer should things go well.

Football Insider exclusively broke the news last month that United had made the 25-year-old a priority signing on loan this summer as they concentrate on recruiting top-notch players they believe can end their 15-year sell outside of the Premier League.

Costa, who cost Wolves £13million when he signed from Benfica in January 2017 after initially impressing on loan, slipped down the pecking order in Nuno Espirito Santo's side after they secured promotion.

The winger has scored 19 goals and supplied 19 assists from 109 Wolves appearances, 30 of which came last season which were split between starts and substitute appearances.

The one-time Portugal international has also had spells in France, Spain and Portugal at European big hitters Monaco, Deportivo La Coruna and Benfica.

In other Leeds United news, it can be REVEALED that a rival club are plotting a sensational double Leeds swoop as exodus also underway.

Leeds United