Al Nassr’s late Samu Costa move leaves summer recruitment funds exhausted

Al Nassr’s agreement to sign Portuguese midfielder Samu Costa has used up the club’s entire allocation from Saudi Pro League’s Recruitment Programme for the current summer transfer window, according to Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

The transfer was formally completed after several weeks of negotiations, approvals and financial procedures. However, the deal has also left Al Nassr facing uncertainty over whether it can strengthen other areas of its squad before the transfer window closes.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Al Nassr reached an agreement with the Saudi Pro League on Monday morning which allowed the club to complete the signing. The arrangement meant Costa’s transfer would be made outside the club’s direct budget, with the Recruitment Programme covering the full cost of the deal.

Al Nassr and Spanish club Real Mallorca had reportedly reached a final agreement over Costa’s move around six weeks earlier. The announcement was delayed while the necessary approvals were secured and the financial arrangements connected to the transfer were completed.

The final stage of the deal took place between Sunday morning and the afternoon, when the required contracts between Al Nassr and Real Mallorca were completed and signed. Once the relevant permissions had been obtained, Al Nassr announced that it had completed the signing of the Portugal midfielder.

The financial outcome of the transfer only became clear to the club after the move had been concluded. Al Nassr’s management was then informed that its budget under the Recruitment Programme for this summer had been fully spent.

Costa’s arrival therefore represents more than an additional option for Al Nassr’s squad. The deal has consumed the club’s entire summer allocation from the programme, leaving the management with a difficult decision if it still wants to address other positions before the end of the window.

The situation comes at a particularly important time for the club. Al Nassr need to make more than one addition, especially following the departure of Marcelo Brozovic, while other areas of the squad also require reinforcement.

That has raised questions over how Al Nassr can complete its squad without receiving further financial allocations. The club may have to consider alternative solutions during the remaining period of the transfer window if it is to respond to those needs.

The agreement with the Saudi Pro League allowed the Costa deal to proceed despite the club’s direct budget position, because the transfer was funded in full through the Recruitment Programme. But with that allocation now exhausted, any further recruitment could depend on additional funding or other options available to the club.

The Portuguese midfielder’s signing had been in place in principle for several weeks before the official announcement, with the delay caused by the completion of the administrative and financial requirements. The late conclusion of the paperwork, followed immediately by confirmation of the transfer, has now left Al Nassr with less financial flexibility for the rest of the summer window.