Andrea Berta has only been at Arsenal for a matter of months, but is already impressing many with the way in which he has set about conducting his transfer business.
The Italian sporting director was appointed in March as Edu’s successor after the Brazilian left North London to oversee Evanglos Marinakis’ network of clubs.
Berta does things differently from Edu, preferring not to put all his eggs in one basket and hyper-fixate on one specific player, instead opting to pursue several different deals at once.
This has been reflected in Arsenal’s pursuit of a striker this summer, as deals with RB Leipzig for Benjamin Sesko and with Sporting CP for Viktor Gyokeres are both understood to be at advanced stages.
This approach could also be about to materialise in the Gunners’ search for a winger, as a move for Nico Williams looks increasingly unlikely.
Arsenal could now sign Raphinha as Nico Williams wants Barcelona move
Williams has been Arsenal’s priority winger target for some time now, with Mikel Arteta identifying the Spaniard as the ideal option on the market last summer.
However, Barcelona now appear to be the favourites in the race for Williams, who wants to unite with his international teammate Lamine Yamal in Catalonia.
While missing out on the Euro 2024 winner would be a blow, Berta is well placed to pull off an addition for a different wide forward, having closely monitored several players in recent months.
Williams moving to Barcelona could result in Ballon d’Or candidate Raphinha becoming available on the market.
The Athletic Club man would likely demand a prominent role on the left-hand side of Hansi Flick’s attack, leaving the Brazilian without a clear place in the team, despite enjoying a sensational 2024/25 season.
This could allow Arsenal to swoop in and finally secure the signing of Raphinha, who Arteta tried to sign from Leeds in the summer of 2022.
The former Rennes man opted to join Barcelona instead, but Berta could now pounce and land the Gunners’ boss’ dream target, something Edu was unable to do at the time.
Arsenal Insider revealed back in April that Arsenal have a slim chance of signing Raphinha this summer, showing that it’s certainly not an implausible deal.
Raphinha would be an incredible signing for Arsenal
It was obvious as to why Arteta wanted to sign Raphinha whilst he was at Leeds, but the Brazil international has gone to another level at Barcelona.
Contributing to 27 goals in 32 La Liga starts last season, the 28-year-old was instrumental in Barcelona’s title-winning campaign, as well as their exploits in the Champions League.
| Raphinha’s La Liga Statistics 2024/25 | |
| Appearances | 36 |
| Goals | 18 |
| Assists | 9 |
| Shots per 90 | 3.55 |
| Expected Goals per 90 | 0.61 |
| Key Passes per 90 | 2.89 |
| Expected Assists per 90 | 0.32 |
| Successful Take-ons per 90 | 1.65 |
Taking 3.55 shots per 90 minutes and putting up 0.93 expected goals and expected assist per 90 minutes, the underlying numbers show that Raphinha’s incredible output was no mirage.
As well as being incredibly efficient in the final third, the winger is an exceptional passer and ball carrier, and is capable of being part of a cohesive press.
He’d be a transformative signing for Arsenal.
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