For Al Nassr, the football case is straightforward.
That matters for a side defending major expectations. Champions do not just need star names; they need players who can protect structure, cover ground and keep the midfield competitive across a long season. Costa appears to fit that brief. He is not the kind of signing built only for glamour. He looks like a squad piece with a clear tactical use.
The report also says Al Nassr pushed the unveiling as an event, not just an administrative update.
This is now part of the Saudi league’s recruitment model. Clubs are not only buying players; they are packaging arrivals as episodes in a broader project. Even when the player is not a global superstar, the reveal can still be positioned as a statement of ambition.
If Costa settles quickly, Al Nassr may have added a useful layer to the squad rather than simply another name to the roster. That is often the difference between a flashy window and a functional one. The next step is the important one: how quickly he earns trust, how he is used in midfield rotations, and whether this reported move becomes a genuine football gain once the season’s pressure kicks in.