World Cup ‘dark horse’ Samu Costa tipped for Premier League move as four clubs mooted

Portugal’s Samu Costa is a ready-made Premier League midfielder – he could have his pick of Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle or Aston Villa.

That’s according to European football expert Andy Brassell, who has tipped the Mallorca star for a sensational summer move to England, despite not yet featuring at this summer’s World Cup.

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In a Portugal side headlined by Cristiano Ronaldo and packed with household names, Costa flies under the radar.

The 25-year-old made a late charge into Roberto Martinez‘s 26-man squad, having only earned a recall to the national team in March following his previous cap in late 2024.

But with Portugal boasting an enviable midfield of Paris Saint-Germain duo Vitinha and Joao Neves, and Manchester United‘s Bruno Fernandes, Costa faces a tall order to make his mark in the team.

None of this will affect his chances of a Premier League switch though, insists Brassell, after a standout season in LaLiga.

Costa made a name for himself by scoring seven goals and providing seven assists from defensive midfield, despite suffering relegation with Mallorca.

He also impressed for Portugal in their March friendlies against Mexico and the USA to help punch his World Cup ticket.

And having stolen into Portugal’s squad ahead of Tottenham’s Palhinha, Brassell has now tipped Costa to tread a similar path to his positional rival.

The real deal?

Discussing Costa’s credentials, Brassell highlighted his hugely desirable traits as a defensive midfielder, which have largely gone unnoticed until recently.

He told talkSPORT: “At 25 years old, he’s someone who’s a bit of a dark horse coming into this tournament.

“Not a household name in a Portuguese squad that’s absolutely full of them, but he’s someone who’s really earned his place in this squad. 

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“He had a great season with Mallorca, mainly as a defensive midfielder, but someone who could get into more attacking areas as well.”

Costa is something of an unknown quantity among Portuguese fans, having left Braga in 2020 after making just one senior appearance.

He has since plied his trade in Spain, first joining Almeria in the second tier – helping them to win promotion in 2022 – before spending the last three years at Mallorca.

Outlining his qualities, Brassell added: “He’s someone who can pitch in with goals, who can tackle, shield the defence, and does it really, really well.”

Premier League potential

And while Costa might not yet be a household name, Brassell insists his profile could see him become exactly that in English football.

He explained: “His ability to embrace those physical aspects of the game, I think, is something that clearly recommends him as a potential Premier League player.”

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Discussing where the Portugal international would fit in best, Brassell highlighted him as a good fit for both Aston Villa and Newcastle – though the latter could now be a more likely option.

With captain Bruno Guimaraes drawing interest from Arsenal and Sandro Tonali linked with Tottenham, the Magpies may be forced into a midfield overhaul this summer.

He said of Costa: “He’s someone I could definitely see at Aston Villa if they didn’t have Boubacar Kamara coming back who’s absolutely brilliant in that position. 

“The level of physicality that he’s got I think would probably quite suit Newcastle as well.”

London calling?

There could be even more tempting options on the horizon for Costa, with Chelsea also touted as a possibility.

The Blues could be set to lose record signing Enzo Fernandez this summer, with talkSPORT recently reporting that Real Madrid are set to open talks with the wantaway Argentina star.

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Brassell continued: “Maybe Chelsea, if they were to move on from Enzo Fernandez – obviously he wouldn’t be the high profile replacement that a lot of Blues fans would be hoping for.

“But maybe he’s someone who could be developed, and we know how Chelsea’s main idea is to develop players into someone who could be the next one of that.

“Someone who’s got great defensive qualities but is properly box-to-box as well, who can pitch in with goals. And in that sense he would fit pretty well with Chelsea.”

But if a move to west London doesn’t materialise, Brassell believes Costa could repeat his path into the Portugal national team, by replacing Joao Palhinha at Tottenham – who is yet to make last season’s loan move permanent.

He explained: “I think we have to underline Spurs as a possibility, because of course, it’s not a given that Joao Palhinha will end up back at Spurs.

“Roberto De Zerbi said he would love to keep him, but of course Bayern are still asking for a fee up towards the £30million mark.

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“And there’s the fact that for family reasons Palhinha would like to go back to Sporting as well, although financially whether that’s possible we’ll wait and see in the coming weeks and maybe even months. 

“So if that wasn’t possible, I think Samu would be a lovely fit for the sort of football that Roberto De Zerbi wants to play. 

“He’s quick, engaged and this is a guy who is on his way up and is only going to get better over the next couple of seasons. 

“So, a lot of possibilities for Samu Costa as he gets ready to leave Mallorca.

“And whether he gets the chance to prove how good he is at this World Cup or not, I think he’ll be proving how good he is for a Premier League team next season.”