Leeds: Marsch has 'good opportunity' to axe £16m Elland Road flop

Offloading unwanted Leeds United winger Helder Costa ‘could be a good opportunity’ for new manager Jesse Marsch, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The 28-year-old is currently on loan at Spanish outfit Valencia after slipping down the pecking order at Elland Road and could be set for a permanent exit in the summer.

Costa became Leeds’ seventh-most expensive acquisition of all time when they splashed out £16 million to prise him away from Wolves back in July 2020.

The Angola international had enjoyed a solid 2019/20 campaign on loan at the west Yorkshire outfit registering five goals and eight assists in 46 appearances across all competitions.

His promising displays helped fire Leeds to the Championship title that term, sending the Whites back to the Premier League following a 16-year absence.

However, he was unable to replicate that sort of form in the top-flight. Costa was restricted to just 13 league starts last season as summer signings Raphinha and Rodrigo moved ahead of him in former manager Marcelo Bielsa’s plans.

And the arrival of Dan James from Manchester United in the summer meant there was no longer a place for the skilful attacker at Leeds.

According to a report by EIDesmarque Valencia (as relayed by Sport Witness), the deal that took Costa to the Mestalla included an option to buy for €20 million (£16.7m).

But that figure has now been described as ‘inaccessible’ for Los Che, and the report states that Leeds will need to re-negotiate the agreed fee in order to offload the attacker permanently.

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Nevertheless, Jones believes the proceeds from Costa’s potential departure could allow Marsch to bring in some players ‘that he actually