Arsenal are yet to make their first signing under Andrea Berta, although the North London club are understood to be advancing on many fronts.
Berta was appointed as Edu’s successor in March, with the Italian sporting director arriving in N5 with an impressive pedigree.
Despite the window only opening at the beginning of June, Gunners fans are already growing anxious at Berta’s lack of activity in the market.
That said, Martin Zubimendi is expected to sign for Arsenal in early June, with the deal only delayed due to accounting reasons.
Meanwhile, a move for Kepa Arrizabalaga is said to be close, as the North Londoners look set to activate the Spanish goalkeeper’s £5 million release clause.
People are impressed with Andrea Berta behind the scenes at Arsenal
Berta only arrived at Arsenal three months ago and has already made his presence known at the club.
Initiating a new contract for Gabriel Magalhaes, the football administrator also appears to have effectively agreed deals for two new signings.
Berta is looking to implement his own transfer strategy, which differs from the way in which his predecessor, Edu, operated.
The new man in charge prefers to pursue multiple deals at once before making a final decision, while the Brazilian liked to fixate on specific targets.
This approach has caused some frustration amongst Arsenal supporters, although journalist Charles Watts has revealed that Berta has made a good impression behind the scenes at London Colney.
“I look at what I’ve heard and he’s apparently making a good impression behind the scenes,” Watts said.
“I think the Gabriel deal was a really good deal that he’s done. He really did take a firm grasp of that deal and get it over the line. He has credit in the bank for that.
“But ultimately, when it comes to transfers, you’ve been brought in to make the deals happen. That’s what he’s been brought in to do. Until we get to the end of this window and we see what deals he has made happen and what he’s got over the line, I think it is very, very hard to judge.”
Arsenal fans aren’t happy with Andrea Berta
In transfer windows gone by, most clubs would have conducted very little business by mid-June.
However, with the introduction of two separate windows due to the Club World Cup, a number of Premier League clubs have already made a few marquee signings.
Despite Arsenal effectively agreeing deals for two players, other clubs announcing their incomings has prompted frustration from the Gunners faithful, which is being directed at the new sporting director.
One fan wrote on X: “As I have said multiple times. If Berta cannot get our signings in before pre-season, he has failed, and he is no different from Edu. This also means… there is a juggernaut in the management team that is hindering our ‘on the field’ success that the fanbase is unaware of.”
Another added, referencing Arsenal’s pursuit of Nico Williams: “We allowed this guy and his agent to string us along for 2 years straight. Absolute horror show from everyone involved. Now it’s time to see what Berta actually does, has he lined up other targets in secret or is he just another pretender? Time to find out.”
Meanwhile, another supporter wrote: “Berta’s a media guy so a lot of the rumours going round are bound to be off the mark. Take everything with a pinch of salt, but a lot of the concrete stuff has been a bit concerning.”
Fans are always going to react prematurely to a lack of business, particularly in the age of social media, but the Gunners hierarchy simply ought to continue with their well-devised plan.
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