Juventus want Douglas Costa to leave this summer (Getty Images)
According to claims from Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla via Sport Witness (h/t Leeds Live), Premier League newcomers Leeds United have rejected the chance to sign Juventus winger Douglas Costa.
As per the report, the 30-year-old has also been offered to Premier League clubs Manchester United and Wolves, with the player’s agent Jorge Mendes desperate to see his client in the English top-flight next season.
Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa, though, has largely focussed on building a team around young players and he isn’t particularly keen on signing the Brazilian winger, who is already past 30. (h/t Leeds Live)
Douglas Costa started his professional career with Gremio in Brazil before completing a move to Europe with Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk in 2010. The talented winger went on to make 202 appearances for Shakhtar in all competitions, registering 38 goals and 40 assists, while winning as many as 5 Ukrainian domestic league titles.
The 30-year-old went on to win back-to-back Bundesliga titles following his move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2015. The Brazilian established himself as one of the most devastating wide players in Germany, bagging 14 goals and 27 assists in 77 appearances across two seasons.
Costa enjoyed a promising loan spell at Juventus during the 2017-18 season, where he impressed with 4 goals and 12 assists in 31 Serie A outings. The Bianconeri opted to sign him permanently on the back of some resounding success while on loan but Costa has found himself down the pecking order over the past two campaigns, starting only 14 league games in the process.
A full international for Brazil since 2014, Costa has accumulated 31 caps for his nation while representing the Selecao at the 2015 Copa America and at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
While Bielsa’s reported concerns over Costa’s age sound justified, it is imperative to say that Leeds are in dire need of bolstering their attack with some much-needed experience. The Whites have already roped in Rodrigo Moreno to improve the quality of their forward line this summer but turning down the opportunity to sign an established winger like Douglas Costa doesn’t make a lot of sense.
The likes of Jack Harrison and Helder Costa have made a positive start to life in the top-flight but Leeds hardly have any quality cover for their first-choice wide attacking duo. Stuart Dallas and Ezgjan Alioski are essentially wingers by trade but Bielsa apparently sees them as left-backs.
Regardless of that, someone like Costa represents a massive upgrade on Leeds’ existing options out wide. The 30-year-old ticks the box as a tried and tested performer in two of Europe’s top-five leagues – Bundesliga and Serie A – and still has enough football left in him to make a significant impact in the Premier League.
It is true that Costa has had his fair share of inconsistencies but his excellent track record of goals and assists, coupled with his plentiful experience in Europe, make him a lucrative option for a promoted club like Leeds.
Taking those aforementioned factors into consideration, Leeds United would be better off changing their stance on Douglas Costa, who still has a lot to offer at the highest level. The Brazilian’s potential arrival at Elland Road would add a lot more depth and experience to the Whites’ attack.