Arsenal are finally set to announce the appointment of Andrea Berta as the club’s next sporting director.
Edu Gaspar left his role in N5 in November, after agreeing to oversee Angelos Marinakis’ network of clubs.
After a prolonged period of searching for the Brazilian’s replacement, Arsenal agreed a deal with Berta earlier this month, which will see the Italian assume the responsibilities that his predecessor had.
Berta is expected to be at the Emirates to watch the Gunners take on Fulham on Tuesday, and he’ll no doubt be having conversations with fellow members of the club’s hierarchy about transfer plans ahead of the summer.
With that in mind, here are three players the football administrator could poach from his former club Atletico Madrid.
- READ MORE: Real Madrid’s stance on Martin Zubimendi revealed as Arsenal suffer transfer blow in latest twist
Pablo Barrios
Arsenal are interested in signing Pablo Barrios as an alternative to Martin Zubimendi, and with Real Madrid stepping up their interest in the latter, the North Londoners’ pursuit of the Atletico midfielder may become more serious.
Berta will undoubtedly be looking to leverage his connections at the Metropolitano to sign talented players in Diego Simeone’s squad, such as Barrios.
The Spaniard is technically astute, calm and composed in possession, while also being defensively secure, giving him the perfect set of attributes to be Arsenal’s new long-term number six.
Having amassed 92 appearances for the Madrid side already, despite only turning 21 last June, Barrios has the experience to slot straight into Mikel Arteta’s team, whilst also being in the right age bracket for the Gunnners.
Ilias Kostis
Left-footed centre-backs are a rare commodity at the top level, and Arsenal may be in the market for one this summer.
Ilias Kostis is certainly a rogue suggestion, but Jakub Kiwior is likely to depart North London at the end of the season, leaving Arteta light on central defensive options.
Kiwior has played a limited role for the Gunners, making Kostis an ideal replacement.
At 22, the Cypriot is raw and inexperienced, so he needs time to develop and would likely be content with playing a sporadic first-team role next season, with Gabriel Magalhaes likely to start almost every game whilst he’s fit.
Giuliano Simeone
Attempting to lure Atletico’s manager’s son away from Madrid would certainly be audacious, but Giuliano Simeono would be an exceptional acquisition for the Gunners.
A versatile midfielder who can be used as an attacking eight or as a right-winger, the 22-year-old has enjoyed a fruitful debut campaign in the La Liga giants’ first team, scoring four goals and registering seven assists across all competitions.
Arsenal could do with another attacking player who predominantly plays on the right-hand side of the pitch to provide cover and competition to the likes of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, and Simeone perfectly fits this role.
An ambitious bid is certainly worth a try from Berta.
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