Phil Hay has been speaking on his podcast about Helder Costa’s future at Leeds United, amid claims the Elland Road club are being linked with Club Brugge winger, Noa Lang.
Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, Hay claimed that interest in Lang is ‘genuine’, though he did note that the club have not yet bid for the 22-year-old.
He said: “You’ll have seen the links to Noa Lang at Club Brugge – those are genuine, although I don’t think there’s been any formal bid made for him.”
Hay also expressed his concerns for Costa’s future in the event the Dutchman makes the switch from the Pro League to the Premier League.
Costa was certainly a fringe player last season, with the winger only being handed 12 Premier League starts, with eight of them coming in the first eight games of the season – so reports of him leaving Elland Road should come as no surprise.
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With Leeds also interested in bringing Lang to the club, that would presumably push Costa further down the pecking order and opportunities will be even more difficult for him to come by, with his days of being a regular for Leeds in the Championship appearing to be a distant memory now.
With Costa’s future unclear, Hay went on to give an insight into what this summer may hold for him as he revealed there has been interest in the Portuguese winger.
“If they do sign a winger, I’ll be interested to see what happens with Helder Costa. I’ve been told of a bit of interest from Spain in him, somebody mentioned Valencia to me, although again, there have been no approaches and no bids, and I don’t think Leeds are rushing him out the door.
“You just wonder again, if [you want] two players for every position but if you have another winger coming in, given that Costa was very in and out last season, what is that going to mean for him?”
TIF thoughts on Costa’s future…
If Leeds are to bring in Lang, or another winger this summer, then it is difficult to see how Costa becomes more than just a cup or bench player next season, and if he can get a move to Spain and closer to his native Portugal, then it would perhaps appeal to all parties.
Costa was a loyal servant under Bielsa during the Championship-winning campaign as he made 43 appearances while contributing six goals and three assists, so it is perhaps a matter of consistency standing in his way in terms of getting back into the manager’s first-team plans, rather than it being a case of him being past his best.