Forget a striker, Andrea Berta can solve Arsenal transfer issue that Edu Gaspar neglected

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Arsenal are preparing to announce the hire of Andrea Berta to replace former sporting director Edu Gaspar.

Since it became clear that Berta was Arsenal’s top candidate, fans have started dreaming about what the former Atletico Madrid sporting director could bring to the Emirates. 

Edu wasn’t convinced by the power Mikel Arteta has at the club, seeing the Brazilian move onto other things, with his replacement set to land in the near future. 

As expected, Berta’s striker signings as Atletico Madrid’s sporting director has caught the attention of those at Arsenal but, that’s not the Italian’s only priority. 

• READ MORE: Who is Andrea Berta? Everything you need to know about new Arsenal sporting director target

Andrea Berta must influence Arsenal’s record of low departure fees

Josh Kroenke has been heavily involved in Berta’s appointment, with the finishing touches being applied to the sporting director’s contract. 

It’s an exciting time for the businessman to join the club, given the repercussions of the recent transfer window failures.

While attention will be on who Berta can attract in the summer transfer window, thought must also be spared to another area of need at Arsenal.

Something that separates the Gunners from other top clubs in the business sphere is the record of low-fee sales.

For all of the talent that has departed the Emirates over the years, Arsenal’s most expensive departure was the sale of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool in 2017. 

The fee of the transfer was just £35m, which says all that needs to be known of the Gunners’ inability to negotiate appropriate departures.

In comparison to the rest of the Premier League’s ‘big six’, Arsenal fall short quite dramatically, with Manchester United the closest with a record departure £45m more expensive than the Gunners’.

Berta’s top five most expensive sales at Atletico Madrid

Arsenal need to get more from those who leave the club, which is something Berta is unironically an expert in.

Edu neglected the sales area at Arsenal, with players proven in European leagues leaving for slim prices, Emile Smith Rowe and Folarin Balogun most recently for example. 

In Berta, the Gunners will receive a sporting director at the top of the game in Europe, with the ex-Atletico Madrid man overseeing some remarkable sales. 

The businessman exploited the market to generate considerable profit for Atletico over the years, with his most expensive sale being Antoine Griezmann’s £107m exit to Barcelona.

Berta’s five most expensive sales at Atletico Madrid were Griezmann, Lucas Hernandez, Rodri, Joao Felix and Thomas Partey, who of course joined Arsenal in 2020.

Change is happening at Arsenal, with the impact of Berta’s arrival to become clear when the summer transfer window officially opens.