Leeds United look set to allow £16m signing to leave amid interest from a former manager

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LEEDS, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 30: Helder Costa of Leeds United celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Leeds United and Middlesbrough at Elland Road on November 30, 2019 in Leeds, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

It looked like Marcelo Bielsa was going to establish Leeds as a comfortable top-flight team again, but they were given an almighty scare last season as relegation became a real possibility as the season went on.

It means a summer rebuild is necessary, while they aren’t helped with star man Raphinha moving on to Barcelona. The Brazilian’s departure may have opened up a chance for someone like Helder Costa to stake a claim for an increased role, but a departure looks more likely.

According to a report from the Yorkshire Post, his former manager Nuno Espirito Santo is looking to take him to Al-Ittihad, and everything points to the £16m signing being allowed to link up with his former boss again.

The Portuguese winger was a key part of the Championship squad but he couldn’t quite make the same impact in the Premier League, and it did appear that he was little more than a rotation option going into next year.

It’s not quite clear if Leeds will recoup the majority of the transfer fee or if this is going to be a permanent exit or a loan with an option to buy, but everything points to him leaving Elland Road this summer.

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