Samu Costa: El Refuerzo Defensivo de Al-Nassr

Al-Nassr are closing in on another piece of their new-look puzzle. This time, it is steel and structure they are buying.

According to press reports, the Riyadh giants have reached an agreement with Real Mallorca to sign Portuguese midfielder Samu Costa for around nine million euros in the current summer window. On paper, it is not a headline-grabbing, superstar move. On the pitch, it could be one of the most important.

Spanish coach David Martinez, who has followed Costa closely in La Liga, offered a clear, unvarnished assessment of what Al-Nassr are getting.

“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 context matters. Surviving at the bottom end of La Liga is a tactical grind, and Costa has been forged in that environment.

Balance, Brains, and Defensive Bite

Martinez did not dress it up. Costa is not coming to Riyadh as a luxury playmaker.

“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 the profile: a midfielder who lives in the spaces others ignore, who plugs gaps, tracks runners, and keeps the team’s shape intact. Martinez stressed that Costa “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 he is not the one threading the final pass. He is the one making sure the team can afford to send players forward in the first place.

“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. That rhythm is often invisible to the casual eye, but crucial for attackers like Cristiano Ronaldo who thrive when the game is under control and the ball returns to them quickly and cleanly.

Fitting into Postecoglou’s Attacking Blueprint

The tactical question is obvious: how does a defensively minded, risk-averse midfielder fit into an Ange Postecoglou side?

“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.

That kind of front-foot football needs a reliable platform. Costa’s versatility gives Postecoglou options in how to build that base.

“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, start the moves, cover full-backs as they bomb on, or sit as the single pivot screening counterattacks – these are the dirty jobs that allow a possession-heavy side to keep suffocating opponents rather than getting caught in transition.

The Ronaldo Factor

Any new signing at Al-Nassr must be viewed through the lens of Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence. The Portuguese captain is the reference point for the dressing room and the attack.

From Martinez’s perspective, the shared nationality and familiarity are not a minor 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.

A smoother adaptation means quicker impact. Less time adjusting, more time executing.

“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 deal is finalised, Al-Nassr will not just be adding another name to a star-studded squad. They will be adding a midfielder whose game is built on discipline, defensive awareness, and tactical clarity – exactly the traits that often separate a team that entertains from a team that wins.