Andrea Berta tipped to sign Premier League star with £62.5 million release clause for Arsenal
Andrea Berta is the leading contender to succeed Edu as Arsenal’s sporting director (Picture: Getty) Andrea Berta has been tipped to use his Atletico Madrid connections to sign a proven Premier League forward for Arsenal this summer. The Gunners are hopeful of confirming Edu’s successor and appointing a new sporting director later this month. Jason Ayto has been holding fort on an interim basis, but the Brazilian’s temporary replacement came under fire for failing to make a single signing during the January transfer window. That seismic gamble immediately backfired after Kai Havertz’s hamstring injury left Mikel Arteta without a recognised striker for the rest of the season. Whoever, ultimately, takes over from Edu will at least have a sizeable war chest to work with come the summer when attacking reinforcements are likely to be a top priority. Get personalised updates on your team every day Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. Should Berta emerge as the successful candidate, former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere believe Matheus Cunha will feature prominently on the Italian’s radar. Cunha has enjoyed a reputation enhancing season with struggling Wolves and the Brazil international appeared likely to be on the move in January before he signed a new contract. Matheus Cunha is wanted by a number of Premier League clubs (Picture: Get That deal, however, is understood to contain a £62.5 million release clause, a fee Arsenal would comfortable be able to afford. ‘Berta knows Cunha from their time at Atletico Madrid and it could be a deal that goes through,’ he told AceOdds.com. ‘He’s having a great season in a team that’s struggling to fight relegation. That shows you how good he is and how quickly he’s adapted to the Premier League. He could be a good signing too.’ On Berta’s credentials, Aliadiere added: ‘I think by the sound of it and what I was reading this morning, Andrea Berta seems to be the man in pole position at the moment. It seems like only small details remain, so it looks like he could be the new one. Edu has left Arsenal after five years (Photo: Getty) ‘He has great experience and has been at Atletico Madrid for 12 years. If you look at the signings he has made and what the club has achieved, it is very exciting. Very, very exciting. ‘If we look at the job Edu has done from when he came in and where Arsenal were, the signings he has made, I think he has done very well. You don’t work at Atletico alongside Diego Simeone if you’re not very good at your job, so I am very excited. But of course, we hope to sign some big players now. ‘It is very exciting, and hopefully Berta’s good connections with the players he has signed in the past can help Arsenal. I think he would need to have a great relationship with Arteta.’ Tomas Rosicky is currentl Sparta Prague’s director of football (Photo by Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Edu has been a key figure at Arsenal over the last five years (Picture: Getty Images) Berta is by no means the only candiate in the mix with Aliadiere’s former Arsenal teammate Tomas Rosicky said to be in the running. ‘Of course, on the other hand, we have Tomas Rosicky, an ex-teammate of mine and also an ex-teammate of Arteta. He knows the club, and he knows the fans,’ Aliadiere added. ‘He spent many years at Arsenal as a player, so that would be a great opportunity and choice as well.” ‘As a Sporting Director, he wouldn’t have the same experience as Berta. For me, it’s very much 50/50. One candidate has great experience, while the other is an ex-player who knows the club, the fans, and the manager. ‘Both choices would be great, but it looks like Berta will be the man.’
Andrea Berta has been tipped to use his Atletico Madrid connections to sign a proven Premier League forward for Arsenal this summer.
The Gunners are hopeful of confirming Edu’s successor and appointing a new sporting director later this month.
Jason Ayto has been holding fort on an interim basis, but the Brazilian’s temporary replacement came under fire for failing to make a single signing during the January transfer window.
That seismic gamble immediately backfired after Kai Havertz’s hamstring injury left Mikel Arteta without a recognised striker for the rest of the season.
Whoever, ultimately, takes over from Edu will at least have a sizeable war chest to work with come the summer when attacking reinforcements are likely to be a top priority.
Get personalised updates on your team every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
Should Berta emerge as the successful candidate, former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere believe Matheus Cunha will feature prominently on the Italian’s radar.
Cunha has enjoyed a reputation enhancing season with struggling Wolves and the Brazil international appeared likely to be on the move in January before he signed a new contract.
That deal, however, is understood to contain a £62.5 million release clause, a fee Arsenal would comfortable be able to afford.
‘Berta knows Cunha from their time at Atletico Madrid and it could be a deal that goes through,’ he told AceOdds.com.
‘He’s having a great season in a team that’s struggling to fight relegation. That shows you how good he is and how quickly he’s adapted to the Premier League. He could be a good signing too.’
On Berta’s credentials, Aliadiere added: ‘I think by the sound of it and what I was reading this morning, Andrea Berta seems to be the man in pole position at the moment. It seems like only small details remain, so it looks like he could be the new one.
‘He has great experience and has been at Atletico Madrid for 12 years. If you look at the signings he has made and what the club has achieved, it is very exciting. Very, very exciting.
‘If we look at the job Edu has done from when he came in and where Arsenal were, the signings he has made, I think he has done very well. You don’t work at Atletico alongside Diego Simeone if you’re not very good at your job, so I am very excited. But of course, we hope to sign some big players now.
‘It is very exciting, and hopefully Berta’s good connections with the players he has signed in the past can help Arsenal. I think he would need to have a great relationship with Arteta.’
Berta is by no means the only candiate in the mix with Aliadiere’s former Arsenal teammate Tomas Rosicky said to be in the running.
‘Of course, on the other hand, we have Tomas Rosicky, an ex-teammate of mine and also an ex-teammate of Arteta. He knows the club, and he knows the fans,’ Aliadiere added.
‘He spent many years at Arsenal as a player, so that would be a great opportunity and choice as well.”
‘As a Sporting Director, he wouldn’t have the same experience as Berta. For me, it’s very much 50/50. One candidate has great experience, while the other is an ex-player who knows the club, the fans, and the manager.
‘Both choices would be great, but it looks like Berta will be the man.’
