Wolves were told they were ‘lucky’ to have ‘world-class’ player, now he’s sitting on the sidelines in China

Wolves have watched an abundance of talent come and go over the years, with some going on to do more than others.

After securing promotion to the Premier League in 2018, it became clear that Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad were more than up to the challenge of the top flight. 

Back-to-back seventh-place finishes after promotion and a Europa League adventure saw Wolves’ status in the top flight solidified, but with that came attention for those making the dream happen on the pitch. 

Key players departed one by one over the years as Wolves’ Championship heroes began to disperse to other clubs, one of which was Helder Costa. 

Helder Costa was a gem for Wolves in the Championship

Paul Lambert was an advocate for Costa before Nuno’s arrival, squeezing the best out of the winger in the second tier.

In the two Championship campaigns before promotion, the Angolan contributed to 29 league goals, making the headlines for his form over the 2016/17 calendar in particular.

During that season, Wolves icon Dave Edwards admitted that the Old Gold were ‘so lucky’ to have the forward in their ranks, via Shropshire Star, high praise that was only echoed by Lambert. 

The former Wolves boss lauded his player for having the ability to make his opponent ‘look silly’, applauding Costa’s ability to score ‘world-class’ goals. 

“Costa can make you look silly, and that’s what he did. He’s a top player. The third goal was, in my opinion, world-class,” Lambert said in 2017, as relayed by Express and Star. 

Though the Angola international’s quality was there for all to see, his rise at Wolves was rather short-lived, leaving in 2020 to sign for Leeds United, a £16m fee that was too good to refuse. 

Time only proves that Wolves struck gold by offloading Costa when they did, as after leaving Molineux, the winger never seemed to hit the same heights.

What is Helder Costa doing now?

Since leaving Wolves five years ago, Costa has only scored 12 goals, which has led his career to follow a downward trajectory. 

Now 31, the Angolan was involved in a 2025 transfer, making the move to China to join newly-promoted side Yunnan Yukun. 

Despite signing in January, Costa has yet to make an appearance for his new club due to being ineligible to play, as Transfermarkt have noted. 

It’s been quite the fall from grace for Costa, who, after generating a sizeable profit for Wolves, began to slip down the ranks, leading him to occupy a place on the sidelines at 2021-founded club Yunnan Yukun.