Samu Costa: The Tactical Midfielder Al-Nassr Needs
Al-Nassr are closing in on a different kind of signing this summer. Not a headline-chasing forward. Not a YouTube-compilation dribbler. A metronome.
According to reports in Spain, the Riyadh club have agreed a €9 million deal with Real Mallorca for Portuguese midfielder Samu Costa, a move that has drawn a detailed seal of approval from Spanish coach David Martinez.
“I know Samu Costa well, as he plays for Real Mallorca, a club that is always fighting to avoid relegation to the second division,” he said, underlining the context in which the 23-year-old has been operating: tight margins, constant pressure, little room for error.
From that environment, Costa brings qualities Al-Nassr’s new era under Ange Postecoglou will badly need.
“Samu Costa will add strength to the team, as well as balance on the defensive side, because he is a tactically sharp player, and he usually reads matches very well,” Martinez explained.
This is not a midfielder built on flair. Martinez was blunt about that.
“He is not technically gifted, but he makes a lot of good decisions during matches, and he usually prefers to play in his own team’s half rather than in the opposing team’s half.”
So, not a showman. A strategist. Someone who chooses the safer zones of the pitch and controls them.
Martinez highlighted Costa’s ability to dictate tempo, a trait that often goes unnoticed until it is missing.
“He always maintains the rhythm of matches, which will help the forwards a great deal, and therefore his role will be essential in achieving balance in the team’s defence.”
That rhythm could become crucial under Postecoglou. The Australian coach is expected to impose the same bold, front-foot football that has defined his recent jobs.
“With (Ange) Postecoglou, Al-Nassr will play attacking football, and they will try to dominate matches through short passes and moving the ball forward to play in the opponent’s half,” Martinez said.
To play that way, a team needs someone who can sit behind the chaos and quietly organise it. Costa, Martinez believes, fits that brief.
“Samu Costa can play in the midfield position or in any other position, but this will depend on who plays alongside him, and he can also play between the two centre-backs to build attacks.”
A pivot in front of the defence. A third centre-back in possession. A link between the back line and the stars further forward. In a squad built around big personalities and bigger reputations, Costa’s value may lie in his willingness to do the unfashionable work.
There is also the question of chemistry with the biggest name of all.
On Costa’s relationship with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr’s captain, Martinez pointed to a simple advantage.
“From my point of view, a coach always wants players who know each other, because the adaptation period is short, and this relationship will be beneficial for the club.”
Shared language, shared culture, shared reference points on the pitch. For a dressing room that has blended multiple nationalities and styles, that familiarity can matter.
Martinez’s verdict on the move left little room for doubt.
“Samu Costa can create balance, and I am certain that Cristiano Ronaldo will welcome him greatly, and that will be beneficial for Al-Nassr.”
Al-Nassr already have the firepower. What they are buying now, in Samu Costa, is the quiet specialist who lets the stars stay in the spotlight—and keeps the whole structure standing when the game starts to tilt.
