Leeds United news: Whites star on course to get contract cancelled as ‘failed bid’ emerges

Leeds United are now on international break after a mixed start to the new campaign.

The Whites have won just once so far, but their under-par start has come amid a turbulent summer that has seen a big turnover of players at Elland Road. Daniel Farke will want to see his men kick on after the break, with promotion the aim for this season. The international break should be a good opportunity for new signings to be bedded in, although some are on international duty.

Here we have rounded up all the latest news surrounding Elland Road.

O’Riley bid

Leeds are said to have failed with a big-money bid for Celtic star Matt O’Riley this summer.

According to Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports, Leeds submitted a £10million bid, but they were unable to convince the Glasgow giants to sell. Celtic view O’Riley as a key part of their future and are now preparing to offer him a new contract.

O’Riley is set for a pay rise with a new contract expected to be signed before the end of the international break. Leicester City were also linked during the summer window.

Costa latest

Helder Costa is the last man standing in Leeds’ group of summer transfer want-aways and although deadline day came and went last week, his exit is still inevitable.

There are options remaining for Costa in terms of a transfer to another club because although most countries’ deadlines have passed, windows in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Greece, Australia and Qatar remain open. Costa is thought to have had some interest in Saudi Arabia this summer but Saudi clubs have only a few hours left of their window, with a 10pm deadline looming tonight. An added complication is Costa’s whereabouts – he’s on international duty with Angola right now preparing for today’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar at Estádio Da Tundavala in Lubango, Angola.

Costa made it plain from the outset of the summer that he saw no future for himself at Leeds and the club agreed. Farke did not see the winger in his first team plans for the Championship season, had no intention of including him in his squad list and therefore decided that Costa should train separately at Thorp Arch. He was joined briefly by Willy Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra in training away from the senior side before they were reintroduced, although Sinisterra did then make a deadline day escape to Bournemouth. Costa has since joined in with the Under 21s’ training sessions under Michael Skubala’s watch.

If a move to the likes of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia and Qatar does not materialise this month then Leeds are expected to come to terms with Costa on a severance deal that will make him a free agent, bringing to an end a four-year stint. Costa joined initially on loan in July 2019 and made his move from Wolverhampton Wanderers permanent the following summer when promotion to the Premier League was secured. He penned a four-year contract in 2020 and played 22 times in the top flight under Marcelo Bielsa before being loaned out to Valencia and Saudi side Al-Ittihad for the past two seasons respectively.

Anthony impact

Leeds’s deadline day addition Jaidon Anthony has been backed to have a positive impact at Elland Road in replacing Luis Sinisterra on the left flank.

Anthony and Sinisterra traded places on transfer deadline day, the former swapping AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium for Elland Road in the small hours of the morning on September 2.

Former Cherries correspondent and current Premier League reporter for The Athletic, Jacob Tanswell believes Anthony can have a significant impact at Elland Road, though.

“Jaidon Anthony has played all throughout pre-season, he played [out of position] at right-back, on the wings,” he said.

“He’s actually probably one of the few from Scott Parker’s team that has been able to perform consistently and be in the team consistently for the last three managers. I think he made 45 out of 46 appearances in the Championship [as Bournemouth were promoted], very consistent, in his first full season in the EFL and he took to it like a duck to water. Very malleable in terms of, if someone tells him to do a job defensively or offensively, he did it. I think that was one of the reasons why he was so popular.”