The Gunners have brought in the former Atletico Madrid director to help front their recruitment, and there's plenty on his in tray
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There isn't quite a new era underway at Arsenal, but the Gunners are certainly opening a new chapter. Andrea Berta has officially been sworn in as the club's new sporting director, replacing popular ex-Invincbles midfielder Edu Gaspar.
Berta said upon arrival: "I am thrilled to be joining Arsenal in what is a hugely exciting period for the club. I have watched with great interest the way Arsenal has evolved in recent years and I have admired the hard work that has gone in to re-establishing the club as a major force in European football with a passionate following around the world."
Manager Mikel Arteta was similarly 'very excited', commenting on Monday: "He was so willing to join us, which is a very positive thing as well because he had many other possibilities, and he's chosen to come to us. And now it's about us giving him the support and the understanding of the situation and context straight away. And for him to start to do what he's already done for many, many years at the highest level, which has been very impressive."
Much of Berta's responsibilities will concern recruitment. Though there are already areas in which he can begin planning for the summer transfer window, some parts of his remit can be dug at right away.
Front and centre of Arsenal attention right now is Bukayo Saka, whose return from a three-month injury was greeted like a goal in Tuesday's win over Fulham, and that was before he even got on the scoresheet. He's being fast-tracked to legendary status at the Emirates Stadium and could conceivably have a statue outside it one day, though only if the club match his rapid upward trajectory.
With Berta now installed, here's what he and the club must do to build for the present and preserve their future:
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportAvoid any contract chaos
Liverpool may very well win the Premier League title, but everything at Anfield is far from rosy. The uncertain futures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and seemingly Real Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold, all on expiring deals, have cast a grey cloud over the red half of Merseyside and provided doubt over their long-term prospects.
That's as glaring a warning as Arsenal need, and it's not like the Gunners don't have prior for this too. Do you remember the Robin van Persie fiasco of 2012 which led to his move to Manchester United? The Samir Nasri debacle when he headed to Manchester City 12 months prior to that? The Ashley Cole disaster of 2006 when he jumped ship to Chelsea? The Alexis Sanchez apocalypse that saw the north Londoners lumbered with Henrikh Mkhitaryan in one of the worst swap deals ever? Yeah, Arsenal certainly don't need a repeat of those.
Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are all out of contract in 2027, which does leave ample time for Berta and Co to get them to the negotiating table before entering that dreaded 12-18 month period. In order to avoid any unrest, he should get a head start.
There doesn't appear to be any immediate danger of the star trio wanting out of the Emirates Stadium, and if anything the situation is quite the opposite. Berta is said to already be planning talks with Saka, while Saliba reaffirmed his commitment to the club when quizzed on his future last month. There is supposed interest in Gabriel from Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, but the Gunners should consider him priceless and only split up their centre-back duo if the fate of the universe depended on it.
In any case, Arsenal are said to be hopeful that Arteta's influence alone can convince their best players to sign new long-term deals.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportLet the deadwood leave
Three members of Arteta's first-team squad – Jorginho, Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey – are on deals which are up this summer. It doesn't appear there's been much haste on the club's part to try and keep those players, and Berta shouldn't rush to change their minds in that regard. So long, farewell, it's time for some fresher legs to come in.
There are also the futures of two loanees to be decided. To say that either of their spells have been underwhelming would still be overplaying their influence. Veteran goalkeeper Neto has played only once in all competitions, coming up with a gaffe worthy of making 'You've Been Framed' at Girona, and Chelsea outcast Raheem Sterling has shown to the world just why the Blues were so eager to cast him aside in the first place.
Those on contracts up in 2026 should be up for sale, too (bar Gabriel Jesus, who would need a Christ-like miracle to pass a medical with a torn ACL). Leandro Trossard, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko, thanks for the memories, but it's time to say goodbye, as that famous old banner once read.
Arsenal's squad is a little thin, though stacking it with ageing players on massive wages isn't the way they're going to end their title drought. Get in fresh blood for those who can barely put two sprints together and Arteta will have a squad he can rotate more freely.
Getty Images SportSign the 'missing piece' striker
Surely, , Arsenal will make concerted efforts to sign a striker this summer. Failing to do so would cause minor rioting through Finsbury Park and up Holloway Road. If anything, it's Berta's moral duty to make sure a new frontman is acquired.
It's no secret that Arteta's dream signing would be Thierry Henry-lite himself Alexander Isak, but Newcastle's demands of a potentially British-record fee could put the brakes on a deal actually coming to fruition. In recent days, Arsenal appear to have ramped up their interest in his countryman and international strike partner, Viktor Gyokeres.
Since becoming Arsenal's auxiliary placeholder up front, Mikel Merino has scored five goals in eight matches, while he has at times shown more natural instincts inside the box than Kai Havertz did prior to his season-ending injury. Logically, any striker worth his salt should be able to score in the Gunners' system, particularly with Saka back supplying the goods, so either of the Swedes should prove a hit at the Emirates. Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike is another name supposedly on their radar, too.
Arsenal rose back to prominence with a mega-money striker signing in Jesus three years ago, who not only provided goals but brought a fresh dynamism and identity to what was previously a shy and tepid attack. They need another addition of that calibre to get them back on track.
AFPBring in a game-changing winger
Arsenal's woes in attack don't start and end with the No.9, however. There has been a lack of imagination across the frontline this season, hence why Saka's injury was so devastating – he was doing the heavy lifting for three attackers at any given time.
Gabriel Martinelli finally showed signs of being the electric winger he once was in Tuesday's win against Fulham, though that may have come too late to save his spot in the starting line up for next season, nor should Arteta hope this will magically turn from one game into a string of top performances. They still need a new wide-man to unlock their potent potential again.
All of Europe will be ringing Athletic Club's phone off the hook if Nico Williams shows any sort of desire to leave this summer having batted away the advances of Barcelona last year. Given the race for him would be so intense, Arsenal could do with a statement Champions League victory and/or performance against Real Madrid to boost their relatively pale reputation on the continent.
Beyond Williams, Arsenal have been tipped to reunite Arteta with Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane having previously worked with him at Manchester City, though there are plenty of red flags against the German's name at this stage of his career. It's also becoming increasingly questionable why none of the English sides even tried to sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia before Napoli sold him to Paris Saint-Germain in January. A wildcard option Arsenal could consider would be Rafael Leao, who has become a distressed asset at a crumbling AC Milan.
