Leeds tipped to sell Costa this summer after what Whelan’s heard from Bielsa
Leeds United may bin Helder Costa this summer due to a lack of consistency.
That is the view of former Leeds striker Noel Whelan who, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted the 27-year-old could not be trusted to deliver week in, week out.
Speaking after the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa, Marcelo Bielsa bemoaned a lack of “precision” and “imagination” from his wide players.
Costa was handed his first start since November against the Villans, with first-team mainstay Jack Harrison dropped.
However, the £16million signing from last summer lasted just over an hour before he was replaced by the Manchester City loanee.
Whelan admitted fans had seen flashes of Costa’s talent but suggested his hit-and-miss performances could see him sold.
Discussing Bielsa’s comments, Whelan told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “In my opinion – in a lot of fans’ opinion – it’s not a great purchase.
“We’ve not seen enough from him in the time since he’s joined Leeds United.
“That’s a real shame because he has got ability there but the keyword is consistency. Showing that week in, week out, and that trust knowing he’s going to be able to do it.
“He’s a player in my opinion that you can’t trust him to get that performance out of him week in, week out.
“You need that in the Premier League. He’s one of these that’s a question mark for me for next season.”
Costa has played a total of 64 times for Leeds since initially joining on loan from Wolves.
The one-cap Portugal international completed a permanent move for a reported £16million last summer.
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