Former Leeds United Star Seals Surprise Angola Switch | OneFootball

Naomi Baker/Getty Images

Former Leeds United winger Helder Costa has completed a surprise move to Angola, putting pen to paper on a deal with Petro de Luanda ahead of next season.

The 32-year-old spent three years at Leeds United after initially arriving at Elland Road on loan from Wolves in 2019, playing a key role in helping the club secure promotion back to the Premier League that very season for the first time in 16 years.

The following season, the move was made permanent under Marcelo Bielsa, although Costa gradually found opportunities harder to come by following the arrival of Brazilian star Raphinha.

During his spell at Elland Road, the Angolan winger made 71 appearances, scoring eight goals and registering ten assists, before spending the final two years of his Leeds career out on loan at Valencia and Al Ittihad respectively, as his standing in Yorkshire began to fade.

Following that spell and the arrival of Daniel Farke at the club, Costa mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Leeds before joining Portuguese side Estoril in July 2024.

Despite enjoying a promising rise in Portuguese football earlier in his career after progressing through the ranks at Benfica, Costa’s second spell in the country failed to ignite in similar fashion.

The winger made just 13 appearances for the Canaries before securing a mid-season move to Chinese side Yunnan Yukun.

Now, in a statement released by the club via Facebook on Wednesday night, Petro de Luanda officially unveiled the signing of the former Leeds United winger ahead of the new season.

The experienced attacker, who has chalked up more than 100 goal contributions over the course of his career, now joins the five-time Angolan champions as they aim to continue their dominance on the domestic stage.

Petro de Luanda are also ushering in a fresh chapter under newly appointed technical director Joao Pedro Sousa, with Costa already emerging as one of the marquee additions of the club’s new era.

Costa represented Portugal at youth level, but chose to play for Angola on the senior international stage.