https://statslook.com/players/alberto-costa/37588118/overview

Arsenal are reportedly among the clubs monitoring Porto right-back Alberto Costa, whose contract is said to include a €65 million release clause.

At 22, Costa is already attracting attention after establishing himself at Porto. The obvious question is not whether a major club would like his profile; attacking full-backs with his age and technical output are scarce. The more useful question is whether the numbers support a €65m valuation.

The early answer is more nuanced than the headline.

The standout number: Costa creates like a winger

Costa has started five of Porto’s first six Liga Portugal matches in 2026/27, playing 452 minutes and posting a 6.86 average rating.

His most eye-catching metric is chance creation. Costa is ranked first among Liga Portugal right-backs for key passes, producing 2.79 per 90 minutes. That is not merely strong output for a defender; it is high-end creative volume from the right side.

He also ranks second for expected goals among right-backs at 0.18 per 90. With 2.39 crosses per 90 and 0.20 big chances created per 90, the profile is clear: Costa gets into advanced areas and consistently contributes to attacking sequences.

That helps explain why an Arsenal link is plausible. Clubs that dominate possession do not simply need a defender who can retain the ball. They need a right-back who can add an extra creator to the final third.

Explore Alberto Costa’s full StatsLook profile

Not yet a complete possession controller

The caution comes with the rest of his distribution profile.

Costa completes 25.69 accurate passes per 90 at 81.1% accuracy. Neither figure places him among the leading Liga Portugal right-backs, while his 56.95 touches per 90 also sit outside the top tier.

That does not make him a poor passer. It does suggest that his current value comes more from what he does after moving into attacking areas than from controlling every phase of possession.

For Arsenal, that distinction matters. A €65m signing would need to offer more than overlaps and final-third delivery. He would need to handle long spells as a build-up outlet, protect the right side in transition and help dictate the team’s territorial control.

The defensive case is promising, not conclusive

Costa’s defensive numbers show useful strengths without yet making him a dominant all-round defender.

He ranks ninth among Liga Portugal right-backs for aerial duels won at 1.19 per 90 and ninth for blocks at 0.40. His 4.78 duels won per 90 ranks 14th, a respectable return for a player whose main value currently lies higher up the pitch.

But he is lower in tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries: 1.39 tackles per 90, 0.60 interceptions and 2.99 recoveries. Those figures do not rule out an elite future; they do show that the €65m conversation is currently being driven by upside and attacking contribution rather than a finished defensive package.

Why Arsenal would still be watching

Costa fits the modern premium full-back market: young, physically strong at 1.86m, right-footed and capable of creating from a position where most teams struggle to find consistent end product.

The key-passing figure is the strongest evidence. Being first in the league for key passes among right-backs after six matches is a real signal, even if it remains a small sample.

However, six league appearances are not enough to treat a release clause as a valuation. The next step is to test whether his creative output holds when Porto face stronger opponents, whether his volume in possession rises, and whether his defensive involvement can match the demands of a high-line Premier League side.

At this stage, Costa looks like a high-upside attacking right-back—not yet a complete €65m certainty.

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Sources: StatsLook — Alberto Costa player profile ·