Arsenal transfer chief told to hijack Manchester United move for £60million target
Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta will work in tandem this summer to oversee Arsenal’s transfer plans (Picture: Getty) New Arsenal transfer chief Andrea Berta has been advised to hijack Manchester United’s move for Mattheus Cunha. The Brazil international signed a new contract with the Premier League strugglers in January but appears destined to leave at the end of the current season. Cunha has enjoyed a reputation enhancing campaign for Wolves but has outlined his desire to to seek a new challenge, having only signed a deal with the promise he would be sold this summer if a club met his new release clause of £62.5m. United are already reported to have made contact with the 25-year-old but Arsenal have been urged to steel a march on their rivals. Berta knows Cunha well from his time at Atletico Madrid where he worked in tandem with Diego Simeone to mastermind the Spanish club’s transfer activity. Get personalised updates on Manchester United 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 so we can send you football news tailored to you. And former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere believes Cunha would represent the perfect first signing of Berta’s Arsenal tenure. ‘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.’ Arsenal and Chelsea have expressed interest in signing Matheus Cunha (Picture: Getty) Berta’s appointment was confirmed last month following Edu’s shock departure in November following three highly successful years in the role. It remains to be seen how Arteta and Berta dovetail together but the signs are encouraging and it was noticeable how the Italian was pitchside on Tuesday and embraced the Arsenal boss following a momentous win over Real Madrid. ‘This is not a one-man job—there have to be agreements between Arteta and the new Sporting Director,’Aliadiere added. ‘It is important because a Sporting Director can’t just bring in his own players if the manager doesn’t fancy them. That would create a bad atmosphere. Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim is keen to bolster his attacking options (Picture: Getty) ‘Arteta and Edu had a great relationship, and they agreed on every signing. That’s what Arsenal need from a Sporting Director.’ On Berta’s credentials, he said: ‘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.’
New Arsenal transfer chief Andrea Berta has been advised to hijack Manchester United’s move for Mattheus Cunha.
The Brazil international signed a new contract with the Premier League strugglers in January but appears destined to leave at the end of the current season.
Cunha has enjoyed a reputation enhancing campaign for Wolves but has outlined his desire to to seek a new challenge, having only signed a deal with the promise he would be sold this summer if a club met his new release clause of £62.5m.
United are already reported to have made contact with the 25-year-old but Arsenal have been urged to steel a march on their rivals.
Berta knows Cunha well from his time at Atletico Madrid where he worked in tandem with Diego Simeone to mastermind the Spanish club’s transfer activity.
Get personalised updates on Manchester United 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 so we can send you football news tailored to you.
And former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere believes Cunha would represent the perfect first signing of Berta’s Arsenal tenure.
‘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.’
Berta’s appointment was confirmed last month following Edu’s shock departure in November following three highly successful years in the role.
It remains to be seen how Arteta and Berta dovetail together but the signs are encouraging and it was noticeable how the Italian was pitchside on Tuesday and embraced the Arsenal boss following a momentous win over Real Madrid.
‘This is not a one-man job—there have to be agreements between Arteta and the new Sporting Director,’Aliadiere added.
‘It is important because a Sporting Director can’t just bring in his own players if the manager doesn’t fancy them. That would create a bad atmosphere.
‘Arteta and Edu had a great relationship, and they agreed on every signing. That’s what Arsenal need from a Sporting Director.’
On Berta’s credentials, he said: ‘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.’
