Former Atletico Madrid sporting director looks set to join Arsenal, replacing the recently resigned Edu Gaspar in the position. The Gunners took their time to find the right replacement, knowing the magnitude of the role and how it would shape their future alongside manager Mikel Arteta.
Berta worked with Atletico Madrid from 2013 having been in Italy a number of clubs prior to that. His work in Spain helped the Rojiblancos rise to become league champions, win trophies and fight for the biggest honours in the sport.
At Arsenal, there is an anticipation about what his potential appointment might mean for the club and where it will take their ambitions in the market. With that said, football.london takes a look at who his first three signings could be for the Gunners.
Martin Zubimendi
First is a player who the club are understood by football.london to have already put a lot of work into – Martin Zubimendi. The player is hoped to be joining in the summer as a replacement for the impending exit of Thomas Partey whose contract will expire at the end of the season.
Berta will be very familiar with Zubimendi who has been playing against his former Atleti side with Real Sociedad. It is unlikely his arrival will change the work that has been done and he would have had conversations about existing plans and work ahead of a summer window that opens in just over three months’ time.
Benjamin Sesko
Another player Arsenal have been very interested in has been Benjamin Sesko. The club were keen on the Slovenian international last summer but he decided to remain with RB Leipzig for guaranteed game time.
A year on and he has developed further, improving many areas of his game and Berta will be tasked with finding the club that key striker. Alexander Isak is a dream for Arteta, but the extortionate price tag Newcastle have set likely rules out the chance of a move.
There may be other candidates that Berta is keen on or who he might suggest. But with this being the first transfer window, Berta will likely take on plenty of the plans the club had in place already and try to bring them into reality.
With midfield and forward areas looked at, there will definitely be need in the defence with the volume of players expected to leave. Jakub Kiwior, Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko could all depart while Ayden Heaven has already left the club, joining Manchester United in January.
One player that Atletico and Berta it appears were keen on prior to his exit was Bayer Leverkusen’s Ecuadorian international Piero Hincapie. A left-sided mobile player who can operate as a left-back and a left centre-half might be exactly the right fit for the club.
With Atleti formerly keen, Berta could have already established dialogue with the player’s camp. Now all is needed is to sell a different project to the player an negotiate a price with the German club.