Why hasn’t it worked for Helder Costa?

Taking away the Player’s Player of the Year Award, Goal of the Season, and Wolves Player of the Year Award, in a debut year no less, is quite the achievement.

Helder Costa’s first season with Wolves was incredible. At the age of 22 upon his arrival, Costa exploded in English football, taking the Championship by storm. His pace, quick feet, and ability to create made him one of Wolves’ most valuable commodities.

Arriving at the Molineux in 2016, Costa’s quality was made apparent early on in his time at the club. So much so, that six months into what was initially a loan, the deal was made permanent, signing for £13 million. Costa was a signing that firmly justified his position as the club’s most expensive transfer (at the time).

The winger ended his first season for Wolves with ten goals and eight assists in 35 league games. £13 million seemed a steal for what was the best offensive option in the side. A player still in his early twenties, Costa’s ceiling was almost unfathomably high. Not only this, but his ability was already, seemingly, astounding.

Four years on from his permanent move to England, Costa is now within the Leeds United ranks. The winger is, at best, of bench quality for the side, and calls for his departure amongst fans have been ever increasing. The £15 million Leeds spent on him is viewed as some of their worst business in recent years, which for Leeds United, is saying something.

So, why hasn’t it worked for Helder Costa at Leeds United?

For starters, Costa’s dip in form stems from well before his move to Elland Road. The stardom of his first season was never truly replicated, at least not in the stats. In his second year at the Molineux, the season in which Wolves returned to the Premier League, Costa scored only five goals and gained only six assists.

Now, this isn’t a terrible decline in performance. If anything, given that he played around 800 minutes less than the previous season, it’s arguably as impressive as his first season. Perhaps the issue, however, began in this season. An issue that would linger for far longer than any player would wish for.

Costa missed the first nine games of the 2017/18 season. In the first eight of this stretch, he was completely absent from the side through injury. The ankle problems that had ended his previous season persisted. His nine-game absence, combined with his stretch away from the team at the end of the 16/17 season, meant Costa missed 17 consecutive league games.

Ankle problems, particularly such long-lasting ones, has the potential to significantly impact players. Perhaps it was this unfortunate stint on the sidelines that began a long-winded decline. Ankle issues can certainly take away the athleticism and pace of a player, and with Costa’s play so intertwined with his natural speed, perhaps this was his first hurdle.

Costa has seemed a quick player at Leeds, but can it really be compared to that incredible first season at the Molineux?

Anyway, from this, upon Wolves’ eventual ascension to the top, Costa did not perform particularly well. In 28 Premier League games, Costa would score only one goal and notch up two assists. An obvious far cry from the form displayed upon moving to the country.

A season of such poor showing will, for any player, impact their confidence at least somewhat.  Costa, a player so capable and able, was completely ineffective in his maiden Premier League campaign. Perhaps it played on his mind far more than people think.

Had injuries truly been the sole cause for such a decline? Perhaps. Perhaps it was a mentality that, with each poor performance, only worsened. Perhaps it was the overall quality increase in the Wolves side. Additions such as Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota meant that Costa was teaming with players of noticeable ability. The calibre at Wolves had increased, and Costa was unable to rise with the side.

It is perhaps surprising that a player like Costa failed to produce in the Premier League, especially given his capabilities in the Championship.

Now, of course, the Premier League, as a rule, is a league of far more talent than the Championship. The point is made, however, as the Championship is a much more aggressive league. The Championship demands a certain level of physicality. If players can comply, then often we see them soar and become stand-out talents.

Costa is a traditionally Portuguese attacker. He oozes a certain degree of flair shared by his countrymen. He is certainly quick, but wouldn’t be characterised as a physical player in the slightest. Therefore, his ability to thrive in the Championship and failure to do so in the Premier League, a league that on paper far better suits his style, is quite intriguing.

Injuries may well have hampered Costa, but perhaps nowhere near as much as the expectations thrust upon his shoulders upon his arrival at Leeds. £15 million was a gamble, especially for a player coming off of such a lacklustre season. Fans were hopeful that the Costa they got was akin to the 2016/17 one, as opposed to the one they had recently seen.

Almost two summers on from the transfer, Costa certainly hasn’t lived up to his price tag at Leeds. Be it in the Championship or the Premier League, his biggest issue seems to be consistency. Costa can prove genuinely unplayable at times, but can never seem to maintain such form.

His end product has never been particularly impressive, as a whole, and there isn’t a particular standout aspect to his style of play, at least in his tenure at Leeds. Of course, it can take a while to adapt to new circumstances. Expectations can hardly have been of any assistance.

Whilst he started the 2020/21 season in relatively good form, getting an assist and a goal in his first two games. Since then, however, he has only notched two assists and scored only one more goal, sadly furthering any concerns about his quality.

Leeds’ fans are passionate to the point of critiquing even the best. A lack of consistency in the player creates a streak of consistency amongst fans who target them. Tyler Roberts is perhaps a good example, as is Costa. Game after game with no real moment of notice and fans become disgruntled.

Perhaps, Costa is in that unfortunate purgatory that many players, particularly attackers, seem to find themselves in. Dwight Gayle and Charlie Austin are two other examples. It is a sorry statement to make, but Costa has failed to make a true impact in the Premier League for almost two full seasons now.

As well as this, even in the Championship for Leeds, Costa never truly seemed incredible as he had done at Wolves. Is he in that limbo status, or is he just a good Championship player at best?

Whilst it may be hard to admit, Costa was perhaps a one-season wonder, only with a gradual return back down to Earth as opposed to thundering back down the next season.

With each passing day, a £15 million price tag looks more like a piece of business by Wolves that can be described only as shrewd and masterful. As for Leeds, especially when they can now compare such a fee to that of Raphinha or Diego Llorente, the transfer only seems to become worse with time. The Costa they had hoped for is yet to show face.

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