The new season is almost upon us and Leeds are still yet to make a marquee signing, with the signings of long time loanee Jack Harrison and Barcelona left back Junior Firpo being the only notable additions. The Whites spent heavily in the previous summer transfer window and the lack of signings this summer would suggest that they’re feeling the impact. Today, we’re looking at three players Leeds could sell to increase their transfer budget.
Helder Costa
Many fans believe Costa’s time at Leeds is up and it’s easy to see why. Since joining from Wolves on an initial loan deal in 2019, Costa has failed to consistently impress at Elland Road. Seven goals and seven assists in 65 league games isn’t good enough for the £15 million price tag, especially considering Raphinha cost only marginally more. Leeds would be very lucky to recoup £10 million back on Costa, with a fee in the region of £5m probably being more realistic. But with interest from Spain floating around, anything is possible.
Adam Forshaw
Forshaw has endured a torrid time of it at Elland Road having sat out pretty much the last two seasons with injury. It seems unlikely that the club would stick by him this long and decide to sell now when he is back to near full fitness, but it’s also hard to see him breaking into the Leeds starting XI on a regular basis. With Stuart Dallas likely to play midfield this season after the signing of Firpo, Forshaw would need to somehow get in the team over him or Kalvin Phillips, and but for an injury to either player, that looks almost impossible. At this stage the former Middlesbrough man offers backup to Phillips in that holding role, but at 29 and with Premier League experience, he’s unlikely to want to sit on the bench, meaning if he stays fit, Leeds could recoup a fee for him in January.
Ian Poveda
Poveda splits opinion among the Leeds fans. While his skill and agility is easy on the eye, the 21-year-old visibly lacks the physical attributes necessary for the Premier League. He can of course build that up over time, but it looks like a long-term project and Leeds need strength in depth on wings now due to Bielsa’s expansive style. If an injury occurred to Jack Harrison or Raphinha, I’m not sure many Whites fans would feel overly confident with Poveda stepping in and that is perhaps underlined by the fact the club have been linked with a number of wingers throughout this transfer window. While the sale of the former Man City player is unlikely to bring in a significant transfer fee, there is no question he could thrive in the Championship and while he is still young, Leeds could recoup a decent bit of money for the winger.
