Arsenal face last-minute Andrea Berta hijack as European giants eye sporting director

Arsenal face last-minute Andrea Berta hijack as European giants eye sporting director Newspoint | 13/03/2025 05:39:13

Arsenal are reportedly facing a late challenge from AC Milan in their pursuit of sporting director Andrea Berta, who left Atletico Madrid in January. Berta has been identified as the top choice to replace Edu at the Emirates Stadium, and while it was reported that terms had been agreed with the Italian, there appears to be one last obstacle to navigate.

Berta, originally from Brescia, has had stints with Italian clubs earlier in his career but spent over a decade in Madrid. He was instrumental in several high-profile signings during his tenure at Atleti, including facilitating Antoine Griezmann's return to the Spanish capital from Barcelona.

However, While initial claims suggested an agreement between Berta and Arsenal was already in place, these have now been thrown into doubt.

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As per Corriere della Sera (via talkSPORT), Milan haven't yet conceded defeat in their pursuit of Berta. Club advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic has reportedly been involved in discussions regarding a new appointment, and CEO Giorgio Furlani is set to meet with 'at least four' potential candidates.

Among those is Thiago Scuro, the Monaco chief who was also on Arsenal's shortlist. La Gazetta dello Sport (via Football Italia), which previously downplayed Berta's chances of joining Milan, named Scuro as one of several contenders, reports .

Ex-Tottenham transfer maestro Fabio Paratici is also reportedly on the shortlist, alongside Igli Tare and Markus Krosche. Both Paratici and former Lazio head Tare are currently without clubs, while Krosche has been at the helm as Eintracht Frankfurt's sporting CEO since 2021.

Meanwhile, on the field, Arsenal gear up for a Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday evening. After thrashing their opponents 7-1 in the first leg away, Mikel Arteta has the luxury to shuffle his pack, hinting at a potential starting berth for Ben White. The defender could make his first appearance since November following knee surgery recovery.

Arteta, speaking to the press before the match, emphasised the need for careful management of White's return. "I think we have to manage him very well because he was still having some issues to manage in terms of the load," he said. "We're very cautious to make sure that when he comes back, he can now maintain that level and there's no more setbacks, but I think he's in a good position now to give him a start.

“The connection that we had on the right side with him, Bukayo [Saka] and Martin [Odegaard] was something exceptional and a real threat in the team, we missed that. It’s true that Jurrien [Timber] has been equally exceptional as well with his performance and consistency. Now we're going to have another option, which is great to have.”