Arsenal are close to appointing former Atletico Madrid chief Andrea Berta as their new sporting director.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Andrea Berta is the leading candidate to become the new Arsenal sporting director. He has been on the lookout for a new opportunity since parting ways with Atletico Madrid and is believed to be keen on securing the move to the Gunners.
The North London club parted ways with Edu Gaspar back in November last year. The Brazilian had been a part of the Arsenal project since 2019. He had played a massive part in helping them get things back on track, and his departure was certainly a massive blow.
While his assistant Jason Ayto has been overseeing the role, the Gunners have been constantly on the lookout for an ideal replacement for Edu. Their co-owner Josh Kroenke and managing director Richard Garlick are the ones leading the case for a new sporting director.
Berta turned down AC Milan in favour of Arsenal
The Gunners have held talks with a number of candidates, and their search has now led them to Berta, who is believed to be their priority target at this stage. According to a report from TBR, the Italian has already turned down an opportunity to join AC Milan as he only wants Arsenal.
He rejected the chance to even hold talks with the Serie A giants as he believes he is on course to landing the job at Emirates stadium. He has reportedly agreed on initial terms with the North London club. The 53-year-old was a part of the Atletico Madrid setup since 2013 before parting ways at the start of the year.
Given the kind of work he has done at the Madrid-based club, the Gunners feel he could help them finally end their weight for major silverware. The North London club have already held talks with him as they look to add him to their setup ahead of next season. While the deal is far from complete, talks are in advanced stage as per Romano.
