'Top negotiator' Andrea Berta to help Arsenal sign five players in summer transfer window, says Guillem Balague
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Updated 05/04/2025 at 18:17 GMT+1
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Arsenal's new sporting director Andrea Berta will try to supply Mikel Arteta with five players in the summer transfer window, claimed Spanish football expert Guillem Balague on Saturday. The newly appointed replacement for Edu is "a top negotiator", said Balague, and was "the architect" of Atletico Madrid's success under Diego Simeone, despite the financial might of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
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Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague said Arsenal’s new sporting director Andrea Berta is "one of the best in the business" and will look to sign five players this summer.
Berta, who was previously the sporting director at Atletico Madrid since 2017, joined Mikel Arteta’s project at the end of March 2025.
The Italian is thought to be responsible for key Atletico signings like the return of Antoine Griezmann, the capture of Jan Oblak, and the three-year-long loan deals for Thibaut Courtois.
And with the departure of Arsenal’s first sporting director Edu, Berta was identified as "a top negotiator" who could help the club make the next step.
"You have to say that he was the architect of the Atletico Madrid that won the league twice, got to the Champions League final twice, won the Europa League," Balague told TNT Sports.
"That’s him working alongside Simeone in a very discreet way. He doesn’t give interviews, doesn’t give press conferences.
"We don’t know personally much about him, but certainly he’s a top negotiator and considered one of the best in the business."
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Despite the financial strength of La Liga juggernauts Barcelona and Real Madrid, Berta helped Atletico compete, securing UEFA Champions League football in every season since he was appointed sporting director eight years ago.
"They went for him because he wants to create, alongside Mikel Arteta, a winning culture," explained Balague.
"This is a guy that’s done very well in the context of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
"They have more money and yet he managed to get that extra bit that Arsenal doesn’t seem to get.
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"So he’s been described to me by one of the decision makers, one of the ones that decided to bring him in, that he’s experienced, he’s a hard worker and he’s very brave.
"But basically, he’s going to have to be creative as well. Arsenal are not here with the intention of spending £200 or £300 million.
"They just want to be creative with what they’ve got and what they bring in."
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And with Arsenal hoping to bolster their squad in the summer - Arteta said on April 1 that "it’s going to be a big one" - Balague named four players that Arsenal might try to secure.
"With the restrictions of financial fair play, both in Europe, which is more restrictive than the Premier League, they’re going to have to think of five replacements for the players that are either leaving or finishing their contract," said Balague.
"And they’re going to have to create three or four players that go straight into the line-up. I would say a left winger, centre-forward and holding midfielder.
"We heard the names: Martin Zubimendi, [Viktor] Gyokeres perhaps, certainly [Benjamin] Sesko or Nico Williams. Those are the names they will try to get.
"But they don’t have a huge amount of money that they can use, so they’re going to have to sell as well.
"Mikel Arteta said it; it’s the biggest transfer window for a long while and having Berta next to him as a partnership with him, will definitely help."
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