Arsenal think their latest move behind the scenes will benefit Mikel Arteta’s team for years to come

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal Insider understands that whilst Maurizio Micheli will play a key role in the short-term recruitment at Arsenal, the Gunners are excited about what he can deliver long-term.

As revealed by Arsenal Insider sources on Wednesday, Arsenal look set to beat Juventus to land Micheli from SSC Napoli.

Andrea Berta has convinced his fellow countryman to join him at the Emirates Stadium, and his impending arrival is seen as a great coup by the North London club.

Micheli has become a legend in Naples, given his role in helping win two Scudetto titles. Now there is hope that he can help Mikel Arteta’s team do the same in the Premier League.

Ahead of his arrival, Arsenal Insider has spoken to the site’s transfer expert, Graeme Bailey, to understand more about the North London club’s plans for their new scout.

Sources: Maurizio Micheli could be tasked with finding Arsenal a new left winger

One of Micheli’s immediate tasks at Arsenal could be to find Arsenal a new left winger, especially given the uncertainty surrounding Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard’s futures.

Arsenal have been linked with Rodrygo Goes, and the Brazilian winger appears to be back on the North London club’s radar.

Bailey told Arsenal Insider: “In the short term, Arsenal are very happy with how their squad is looking; they feel the balance between signing and Hale End graduates is at a perfect level.

“The one area they think they might need something is possibly left-wing. But numbers-wise, they are very happy, and we are not expecting too much in January.

“Come the summer, I think we’ll see the same turnaround, a new full-back could be something with Ben White’s future not certain,  and the futures of Trossard and Martinelli are going to become a thing.”

Maurizio Micheli must find long-term solutions for Viktor Gyokeres and David Raya

Meanwhile, less pressing issues for the Italian scout will be finding long-term solutions for players like Viktor Gyokeres and David Raya.

Both players still have plenty to give at Arsenal, but given Gyokeres is 27 and Raya has turned 30, they aren’t exactly long-term options.

“Medium term, there will be areas that need assessing, let’s not forget Gyokeres is no spring chicken, so his successor will be something he works on for sure,” added Bailey.

“Likewise, in goal, David Raya is 30, and they will also be looking at that going forward.”

Raya hardly covered himself in glory away at Sunderland as his mistake for Brian Brobbey’s equaliser will have left the club with some slight question marks as a result.

Arsenal hope Maurizio Micheli can unearth the next Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

But one of the key reasons behind bringing Micheli is his ability to unearth future gems, which brought him such great success in Italy.

Micheli signed players like Kalidou Koulibaly, Marek Hamsik, Kim Min-jae and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who all won titles with Napoli.

Finally, Bailey added: “In the long term, all options are on the table; this is where Micheli, they hope, comes into his own, discovering the next Kvaratskhelia, for example.”

Gunners fans should be very excited about the latest addition to their scouting set-up, as he could be Berta’s best signing of 2025.