Arsenal are close to securing their first signing of the summer transfer window and their first addition under new sporting director Andrea Berta.
Berta was appointed as Edu’s successor back in March and has already started making key decisions in his new role.
Martin Zubimendi is set to sign from Real Sociedad, while the Italian is also said to be spearheading the Gunners’ pursuit of a striker, whittling down the shortlist for this position to Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko.
Promising talent Igor Tyjon is also close to joining Arsenal from Blackburn Rovers, with Berta clearly meaning business as he kicks the window off with a flurry of additions.
Konstantinos Karetsas relegated Kieran Tierney’s Scotland from Nations League A
Arsenal are in talks with Genk over the signing of Konstantinos Karetsas, with the deal understood to be relatively advanced.
The Gunners are eager to secure the prodigious young talent early, and are reportedly willing to pay upwards of £38 million for his services.
Karetsas impressed in the Belgian top flight for Genk throughout the 2024/25 season, although he caught the eyes of Europe with his exceptional international debut back in March.
Dominating the Nations League clash against Scotland, he became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Greece national team when he steered past Craig Gordon at Hampden Park.
Laid off by Giannis Konstantelias inside the box, Karetsas beautifully bent the ball into the back of the net, doubling Greece’s advantage in Glasgow in the 42nd minute.
The away side went on to win the game 3-0, securing promotion to Nations League A and condemning Scotland to relegation to the competition’s second tier.
Kieran Tierney played 35 minutes off the bench for the Tartan Army that night and was run ragged by Karetsas, who started the game on the right wing.
Konstantinos Karetsas’ performance against Scotland showed why Andrea Berta wants him
Karetsas was exceptional throughout the 73 minutes he spent on the pitch at Hampden Park.
Deployed as an inside forward, the 17-year-old was given the licence to roam in-field and create for his teammates, with George Vagiannidis overlapping him from right-back.
The starlet finished the game with the highest pass accuracy of anyone on the pitch who played more than 45 minutes, completing 95% of his passes.
However, he wasn’t merely looking to retain the ball, and still managed to influence proceedings in the final third.
| Konstantinos Karetsas vs Scotland | |
| Minutes Played | 73 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Expected Goals | 0.2 |
| Shots | 2 |
| Accurate Passes | 18/19 (95%) |
| Touches in Opposition Box | 2 |
| Ground Duels Won | 6/12 (50%) |
As shown by the data above, Karetsas looked to break into the box regularly and get his shots off, while he was also extremely combative with his defensive work, winning six duels.
This display showed exactly why Berta is so eager to land the prospect, with his immense on-the-ball talent backed up by an impressive work ethic.
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