Samu Costa: A Tactical Addition for Al-Nassr

Samu Costa has not kicked a ball for Al-Nassr yet, but in Spain they already know exactly what kind of player is heading Cristiano Ronaldo’s way.

According to reports, Al-Nassr have reached an agreement with Real Mallorca to sign the Portuguese midfielder for around nine million euros in this summer window. It is not the sort of headline fee that shakes a market. It is the kind that suggests a very specific, carefully targeted piece of business.

Spanish coach David Martinez, who has watched Costa closely in La Liga, painted a clear picture of what the 23-year-old will bring if the deal is finalised.

A fighter from a survival club

“I know Samu Costa well, as he plays for Real Mallorca, a club that is always fighting to avoid relegation to the second division,” Martinez told Al-Arabiya.

That line matters. Mallorca live on thin margins, where a single mistake can cost a season. Players forged in that environment tend to understand suffering, defensive responsibility, and concentration over 90 minutes. Costa, in Martinez’s eyes, is very much that type.

“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,” he said.

This is not the profile of a showman. It is the profile of a midfielder who sees danger before others, plugs gaps, and gives his more glamorous teammates the platform to shine.

Not a magician, but a decision-maker

Martinez did not dress Costa up as something he is not.

“He is not technically gifted,” the Spaniard admitted, “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.”

In other words, do not expect endless dribbles or highlight-reel passes. Expect the right pass. The safe angle. The cover run that stops a counter-attack before it starts. For a side that often throws numbers forward, that kind of caution is not a weakness; it is insurance.

“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,” Martinez added.

Tempo, balance, rhythm. The words of a coach who sees Costa as the metronome behind the chaos.

Fitting into Postecoglou’s attacking vision

The tactical question now falls on Ange Postecoglou. The Australian coach is expected to impose his trademark front-foot football on Al-Nassr, and Martinez believes Costa can slide into that structure.

“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,” he said.

That is where Costa’s positional flexibility becomes a weapon.

“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,” Martinez explained.

Drop between the centre-backs to start the build-up. Step into midfield to shield the defence. Hold his position so the full-backs can fly. Costa’s game, as described, is about enabling others to take risks while he quietly manages the structure behind them.

A ready-made link to Ronaldo

There is another layer to this move: the dressing-room dynamic with Cristiano Ronaldo.

From Martinez’s point of view, that familiarity is no small detail.

“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,” he said.

Shared language, shared culture, shared reference points on the pitch. For a squad built around Ronaldo’s influence and goals, bringing in a compatriot who understands both the demands and the spotlight makes sense.

“Samu Costa can create balance, and I am certain that Cristiano Ronaldo will welcome him greatly, and that will be beneficial for Al-Nassr,” Martinez concluded.

If the transfer goes through, Al-Nassr will not just be signing another name for the headlines. They will be adding the kind of unspectacular, relentlessly disciplined midfielder every attacking side secretly needs. The question now is simple: how quickly can Samu Costa turn that quiet influence into a new kind of control in Riyadh?