Who Should Mallorca Sign to Replace Samú Costa?
Mallorca is having an excellent season after reaching the final of the Copa del Rey last year, and it looks like they may have a chance of achieving European qualification this season. However, this also means that other clubs are on the lookout for several players in Mallorca’s squad, one of them being 24-year-old Portuguese midfielder Samú Costa, who arrived two seasons ago from Almería and is proving to be a midfield powerhouse.
In this article, we will be looking at potential replacements for Samú Costa at Mallorca. With the use of Scouting Stats AI and the McLachApp, both websites formed by football data enthusiasts on Twitter by the names of @ChicagoDmitry and @DEvansData on X, I have been able to find 3 potential replacements for Samú Costa at Mallorca.
Mallorca will probably earn in excess of €10 million, perhaps even more than €15 million. Because of this, the potential replacements for the Portuguese player will have a price tag of no more than €10 million.
Name: Noé Lebreton
Position: Defensive Midfielder/Center Midfielder
Country: France
Age: 20
Height: 178cm
Preferred Foot: Right
Current Club: SM Caen
Context: Lebreton came up through the ranks of Caen and has now reached the first team, where he has been playing for two seasons.
In this chart, we can observe that both players are quite similar, with their best attributes coming defensively, having a high volume of tackles and a high percentage of aerial duels won. This shows that both players are identical and share the same skillset; however, Lebreton’s data comes from the French second division. Nonetheless, he is just 20 years old meaning he still has much room for improvement and could become a star in that position for Mallorca if he is able to adapt.
These images resemble both players’ positioning this season. We can already see that both players tend to move in the same positions, however, Costa does drift more to the side than Lebreton. Nonetheless, we can observe that their positions on the pitch are quite similar, meaning that Lebreton performs in the same role as Costa at Mallorca.
Overall, Lebreton is a young player who has the potential to play at the elite level; however, perhaps his signing would be a gamble as he is still young, and to move to the first Spanish division could affect him negatively as football in France is more physical than that in Spain. More analysis would be needed to see if he could adapt well to Spain.
Name: Jon Gorrotxategi
Position: Defensive Midfielder/Center Midfielder/Center Back
Country: Spain
Age: 23
Height: 177cm
Preferred Foot: Right
Current Club: Mirandés
Context: Gorrotxategi began his career at Real Sociedad and began to form part of the first team this year, though with Zubimendi still at the club, he went on loan to Mirandés, who are currently fighting for promotion to La Liga.
Here, we can observe that Gorrotxategi is a well-rounded and complete midfielder who differs from Samú Costa though his defensive attributes still stand out. Gorrotxategi’s offensive skill set exceeds that of Costa at Mallorca with more dribbles, progressive passes, and scoring contributions, among others. Furthermore, we can observe that the midfielder of Mirandés is above average in all the statistics and is ready for the next level, where he can provide good performances as well.
Here, we can observe how both players move on the field this season. The first observation we can make is that, just like Lebreton, Gorrotxategi also does not move to the sides as often as Samú Costa. However, they both appear in the middle of the pitch often which shows that they play in similar roles for their respective clubs, and in this sense, Gorrotxategi would not have to change in any way.
Overall, Gorrotxategi proves that he is ready for the next level, and with just 2 years to the end of his contract, he must decide soon whether he will stay at Real Sociedad and fight for a spot with a potentially departing Zubimendi or join another club. If he decides the latter, Mallorca should keep their eyes open, as he could be a great replacement if Costa ends up leaving the club.
Name: Enzo Barrenechea
Position: Defensive Midfielder/Center Midfielder
Country: Argentina
Age: 23
Height: 186cm
Preferred Foot: Right
Current Club: Valencia
Context: Barrenechea came up through the ranks of Newell’s in Argentina before joining Sion in Switzerland for more than €3 million. After just 6 months, Juventus came calling and paid a fee in excess of €5 million for his services. Last year, with the difficulty of entering in Juventus’ first team, he joined Frosinone on loan, and in the summer, Aston Villa paid €8 million for the midfielder before loaning him to Valencia.
This chart shows us that both players are quite similar in their defensive attributes, though Barrenechea’s 1vs1 defending is far superior to that of Samú Costa. Furthermore, the Argentine is superior to Costa when it comes to the possession-based aspects which shows his ability on the ball. Barrenchea would improve Mallorca’s current in-possession game while also maintaining defensive solidity in midfield.
Here, we can see that both players tend to move in the same areas on the pitch, though perhaps Barrenechea moves to a lesser extent to the sides of the pitch. However, their average positioning is quite similar, signifying a player who could participate in Costa’s rule and not have any issues adapting.
Overall, Barrenchea would be an excellent signing for Mallorca and would improve Samú Costa as well as having experience in La Liga, playing at Valencia this season. However, with him being an Aston Villa player, the price tag on his name may increase considerably, given it is a top Premier League club.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if the fee were economically sustainable, Enzo Barrenechea would be the perfect signing to replace Samú Costa. Nonetheless, if he is not available, Jon Gorrotatxegi would provide a lot to the midfield and would be quite cheap, while Noé Lebreton could be an interesting player, though he may need a loan spell before entering the first team.
By: Juan Fernandez Valencia / @ScoutLaLiga1
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images