Everyone knows that, with how competitive the Premier League is at present, big money often needs to be spent if you are to be competitive and avoid being dragged into a relegation battle.
Leeds United have certainly spent a pretty penny since promotion in the summer of 2024, with over £180m being splashed out to improve Daniel Farke’s squad.
The aforementioned investment appears to be money well spent, though, with the Whites avoiding an immediate return to the second tier last term and currently sitting third in 2026/27.
However, not all of their big-money additions in recent years have worked out, as seen with one player who arrived to help the club out during their previous spell in England’s top-flight.
Why Helder Costa is one of Leeds’ worst signings of the modern-era
In an attempt to secure promotion from the Championship in 2019/20, Leeds agreed a deal with Wolves for the signing of winger Helder Costa.
Such a deal was a loan with an obligation to buy, and after the Whites secured the title under Marcelo Bielsa, they were forced to pay £16m to the West Midlands outfit.
His experience of winning the second tier proved vital for Bielsa’s men, but it’s safe to say his time in the Premier League at Elland Road was far from successful.
The Angolan international would only make 25 top-flight appearances during the remaining four years in Yorkshire, even being sent on various loan spells across the globe.
|
Helder Costa’s stats during his time at Leeds (2019-2023) |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Tally |
|
Games played |
71 |
|
Cost per game |
£225,000 |
|
Goals scored |
8 |
|
Cost per goal |
£2m |
|
Assists registered |
9 |
|
Cost per assist |
£1.7m |
The 32-year-old spent time with the likes of Valencia and Al Ittihad, but it was unable to catapult him back into the senior ranks at Leeds – and saw him be released in the summer of 2023.
As a result, the deal saw the Whites spend around £2.6m for every goal or assist he contributed, as he only managed to provide a goal contribution six times after his permanent move.
Such a move was arguably the club’s worst since 2020, with Farke and the current hierarchy needing to ensure some players don’t suffer the same fate in the years ahead.
Leeds star looks like the new Helder Costa in 2026
It’s no secret that Farke’s new system at Leeds has allowed the Whites to reach the next level and become an established top-flight outfit in the last nine months.
His side have tasted defeat just five times in the last 23 matches after switching to a back-three – something which undoubtedly saved the manager’s job after a tricky period.
However, the switch has not had a positive effect on everyone at Elland Road, with some players struggling to fit into the changes made over recent months.
Winger Daniel James is a player who certainly falls into such a category, as the Welshman now looks to be a player who could well be on the fringes of the senior squad.
His direct pace and dribbling ability have often been a key component to Leeds’ success in recent years, but the switch to two tens in behind the striker has seen him struggle to fit into the manager’s plans.
The 28-year-old has featured in a right-wing-back role in Carabao Cup games against Nottingham Forest and Chelsea in a bid to secure valuable senior minutes.
Whilst he netted against the former, his display against the latter highlighted why he’s unsuitable to such a role, as the Blues ran riot down his side and secured a 6-3 win last week.
His decline is showing similarities to that of Costa in Yorkshire, who undoubtedly was a key asset in the Championship, but failed to make the grade in the top-flight.
James registered 21 goal contributions as the club secured promotion in 2024/25, but since returning to the Premier League, he’s failed to register a single goal or assist.
As a result, he’s now struggling to get the first-team minutes he craves, with the winger just featuring for a total of 29 minutes in the league so far this campaign.
His £25m signing back in 2021 was seen as a gamble, but there’s no denying the forward has struggled to match the hefty fee paid for his signature.
Like Costa, he’s been unable to deliver the goods against higher-quality opposition, which could see him emulate the Angolan in being pushed closer to the exit door in the near future.
