Arsenal’s search for a new sporting director came to an end on Sunday as they announced the appointment of Andrea Berta.
Edu Gaspar left Arsenal in November, with Jason Ayto assuming interim control of the Gunners over the last four months.
A five-man shortlist of candidates to replace Edu was compiled, with Berta emerging as the most suitable option in early March.
The likes of Dan Ashworth, Roberto Olabe and Thiago Scuro were all considered and ultimately didn’t land the job, with some of them harbouring concerns over the position.
Sporting director candidates were concerned about Mikel Arteta at Arsenal
Berta arrives at Arsenal from Atletico Madrid, where he oversaw a team led by a dynastic manager with a charismatic personality in Diego Simeone.
Mikel Arteta shares some of these authoritarian and controlling traits with Simeone, so co-existing with such an overpowering figure won’t be new for Berta.
This arguably suggests that the duo’s potential partnership could function effectively.
However, for some, the power that Arteta has within Arsenal was a cause for concern.
According to the Athletic, ‘several’ Edu replacement candidates expressed concern that joining the North London club would simply mean playing a supporting role to Arteta.
For those coming from roles where they’d had significant control over the decision-making process, this was a real worry.
The likes of Olabe and Scuro are understood to have been in that category of harbouring concerns over Arteta’s influence.
It’s been reported that Edu and Arteta clashed over transfers in the past, which was part of the reason the Brazilian departed N5, as he was worried about the manager’s dominant say in all proceedings.
While Arteta has certainly merited having a strong and important voice in the room, he should have co-workers who can challenge and overrule him from time-to-time, so this is certainly a warning to the Kroenkes to keep their eye on this situation.
What can Arsenal expect from Andrea Berta in the transfer window?
A ruthless negotiator who boasts an impressive array of contacts and connections in the footballing world, Berta has an exceptional track record of pulling off successful signings.
The likes of Antoine Griezmann, Diego Costa and Julian Alvarez were brought to the Metropolitano by the Italian and all three additions were overwhelmingly a success in the Spanish capital.
More holistically, Berta oversaw one of Atletico’s most fruitful spells in their modern history, in a period which saw the Spanish giants win two La Liga titles and reach two Champions League finals.
If he can have a similar impact at Arsenal then he’ll certainly be viewed as a sensible hire, and he’s not wasting anytime in N5.
David Ornstein has reported that Berta is an admirer of Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres, who has risen on Arsenal’s striker transfer list since the arrival of the new sporting director.
Evidently keen to implement his own transfer plans regardless of Arteta’s preferences, the power-balance does look to be healthy at the Emirates.
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