Andrea Berta is the new man at the helm at Arsenal. The Italian joins the north London club after more than a decade of service at Atletico Madrid, succeeding Edu Gaspar as the Gunners’ sporting director.
Arsenal was taken aback by Edu’s departure last November and was keen to take its time in a bid to find an ideal replacement. The Brazilian’s assistant, Jason Ayto, took up the position on an interim basis while the Gunners went to work.
Ayto, a former scout who’s worked his way through the ranks at Arsenal, was among those seriously considered for the position full-time, but the club had their sights set on Berta after he departed Atleti in January.
Mikel Arteta’s preference for the Italian is said to have played a key role in his eventual hiring, and the pair’s relationship is set to be pivotal to Arsenal’s fortunes amid a crucial time in the Spaniard’s project.
Berta has a big job on his hands. Here are four big tasks for the experienced director at the start of his Arsenal tenure.
New contracts for key players
Liverpool is set to win the Premier League title amid a backdrop of contract chaos. Three protagonists in their title tilt have entered the final couple of months of their respective deals, with Trent Alexander-Arnold poised for a move to Real Madrid. The futures of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are up in the air.
This is a situation Arsenal will desperately want to avoid, but there’s potential for a similar debacle to break out in north London.
Bukayo Saka, Gabriel, and William Saliba are all tied down until 2027. The Gunners have plenty of time to act, but Berta would be wise to bring each of them to the negotiating table early to prevent speculation from spreading over their respective futures. While Saka is expected to commit his future to Arsenal for the long haul, Gabriel has been linked with a Saudi adventure, and Real Madrid is sniffing around for Saliba.
Edu had his flaws, but he was proactive in ensuring Arteta’s cornerstones were signed up for the long-term. Berta must follow suit.
Superstar centre-forward addition
Arsenal simply hasn’t done enough to give themselves the best possible chance of success in recent windows.
A loan for Raheem Sterling was the sole move in attack they made this season, and their lack of aggression in the market has come back to bite them. A succession of injuries has left Arteta bereft of forward options, with Mikel Merino utilised as a makeshift No 9 and attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri functioning out wide.
Absences have undoubtedly played a major role in the Gunners’ attacking dip this term, but Arteta’s side also had issues when all their forward options were available. Arsenal’s foundations remain sturdy, but their work in the final third has left plenty to be desired. Many believe that merely a boost in talent would alleviate the bulk of their issues, and it’s hard to argue against that.
Arsenal requires greater threat in transition and a superior dribbler wide left to complement Saka, but their biggest need is a No 9. Kai Havertz has value up top and performed superbly well down the stretch last season, but the Gunners need more game-breakers in their frontline. Alexander Isak is the name on the tip of every Gooner’s tongue, and he’d be the superstar addition capable of thrusting the Gunners from challengers to champions.
It’ll require a breaking of the bank, but the Swede’s shown this season that the money Newcastle reportedly want will be well worth it. He’s a cut above alternative options, such as Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres, and Hugo Ekitike.
Midfield refresh
Arsenal is seemingly happy to let Thomas Partey and Jorginho walk this summer, with both players unlikely to extend their contracts, which expire in June.
As a result, Berta will have to go about acquiring a couple of replacements. Arsenal’s interest in Martin Zubimendi pre-dates Berta’s arrival, with groundwork made in recent months to ensure the Spaniard joins this summer. Real Madrid’s reported pursuit may force the Gunners to work a little bit harder for his signature.
Arsenal remains confident of getting a deal for holding midfielder Zubimendi over the line, and his profile is somewhat of a combination between Jorginho and Partey. The Spaniard alone won’t be enough to rejuvenate the Gunners’ engine room, however, so we have to expect the club to make another signing.
Arteta will want to bring in another multi-faceted midfielder capable of performing multiple functions within his framework. Perhaps they’ll enquire about Bruno Guimaraes while pursuing Isak. They’re still yet to properly replace Granit Xhaka despite several attempts.
Some have expressed concern at just how much power Mikel Arteta has at Arsenal. Berta isn’t arriving to serve as the Spaniard’s boss but to work in partnership with the Gunners manager.
Ultimately, this is his project, and Arteta’s relationship with former director Edu proved key in helping remove the toxicity that had enveloped the north London club. Much of their recruitment throughout the project has been savvy, with Arteta the lead voice in identifying optimal targets before Edu helped get deals over the line.
Edu’s exit sparked a hierarchical shift, and there was room for Arteta to claim even greater power. However, Berta seems like the ideal candidate for keeping the Spaniard in check. Now, Arteta has earned the right to emerge as the key voice in north London, but there have been a few question marks on the recruitment front in recent windows.
Berta, who worked harmoniously alongside Diego Simeone for more than a decade, was approved by the manager, and the Italian, more so than Edu, must emerge as an authoritative figure capable of challenging the judgement of the project leader. Their chemistry will be crucial in the success of the club in the coming years.
