​Andrea Berta has already earned plenty of praise from Arsenal supporters for his recruitment work, but could the club’s sporting director be laying the groundwork for another major signing? Dan Smith believes the Italian may be once again using his patient, methodical approach to gain the upper hand in the transfer market.
Arguably one of the Kroenke family’s best moves since taking control of Arsenal was bringing Berta to the club. The Italian’s transfer strategy seems to be built on gathering as much information as possible on every player on his shortlist, then reviewing all the data collected and deciding on the best plan of action. The Gunners benefited from that approach last summer when Berta learned that north London was the preferred destination for players like Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres, helping Arsenal avoid getting drawn into unnecessary bidding wars.
There was a moment when Gyökeres insisted he had a verbal agreement with Sporting CP to leave, leaving him effectively to negotiate the asking price downward on his own. And now, it seems Mr. Berta could be at it again.
Newcastle United have repeatedly stressed, through local media, that they do not want to lose Bruno Guimarães, while reports have suggested there was never any agreement allowing the midfielder to depart if the Magpies failed to qualify for Europe. That raises a straightforward question: if Newcastle are determined to keep their captain, where did the reported £60-70 million valuation come from?
In a market where players such as Elliot Anderson are reportedly moving for around £115 million and Newcastle are said to be close to receiving almost £100 million for Sandro Tonali, it’s understandable why they value one of their most influential players so highly. Yet the reality is we are talking about a 28-year-old with only two years remaining on his contract. The reports that have not been firmly dismissed on Tyneside suggest Guimarães has signalled that if he were to leave, Arsenal would be his preferred destination. It’s believed the Brazilian has enjoyed his time at Newcastle and doesn’t want to damage his relationship with the supporters. Yet that could be exactly what Arsenal’s recruitment team are counting on.
Agreeing personal terms means little if a buying club cannot agree a fee. Likewise, it becomes much harder for a club to insist a player is not for sale if that player makes it clear he wants to move and has no intention of signing a new contract. Football has long operated in the grey areas. Years ago it was labeled tapping up; today, it feels as though clubs have become better at working within the regulations while ensuring conversations still take place behind the scenes. Mr. Berta is regarded as one of the best in the business for his ability to navigate these intricate dynamics.