Andrea Berta’s best signings as Arsenal close in on director | OneFootball

Andrea Berta has emerged as the leading candidate to become Arsenal’s new sporting director.

Arsenal have been assessing options following Edu’s shock decision to depart North London, with Berta emerging high on the club’s wish list. The Italian brought over a decade at Atletico Madrid to an end in January, a period that has seen Berta keep the Spanish side competing at the top level.

As Arsenal reportedly push to bring Berta to the Emirates, we’ve remembered some of his finest transfer business at Atletico.

Antoine Griezmann

Perhaps Atletico’s greatest investment. Berta agreed a £24m deal to bring Griezmann to the club from Real Sociedad in 2014, as Atletico sought to strengthen their title-winning squad.

Griezmann was a huge hit, as he recorded 183 goals and assists in 257 games for the Rojiblancos. Barcelona broke the bank to sign Griezmann in 2019, with the £103m release clause earning Atleti a mammoth profit.

The Frenchman failed to replicate the same level in Barcelona and returned to Atletico in 2021 on an initial two-year loan. That move was made permanent at a knockdown fee of £17m and Griezmann has recaptured his best form back in the capital.

The 33-year-old has been named in La Liga’s Team of the Season in each of the last two campaigns and is now Atletico’s record scorer, having overtaken Luis Aragonés.

Jan Oblak

After Thibaut Courtois was recalled from his loan spell by Chelsea, Atletico’s search for a new number one landed at Jan Oblak. The Slovenian shot-stopper had impressed at Benfica but the move to Madrid represented a step up.

Oblak has since spent over a decade with Atletico, cementing himself as one of the greatest goalkeepers of his generation. He’s helped the club achieve La Liga title success and a Europa League triumph, in addition to earning a record five Zamora Trophies.

Atletico have been famed for a miserly defence under Diego Simeone and Oblak’s been a major part of that. Signed for just £13m, he ranks among Berta’s best business.

Rodri

Rodri spent just a single season at Atletico Madrid but banked the club a healthy profit. Berta snapped up the Spaniard from divisional rivals Villarreal for just £20m, safe in the knowledge he had a future star on his hands.

Rodri’s sole campaign with Atletico saw the club finish as runners-up in La Liga before Manchester City activated his £62m release clause. In England, Rodri formed part of the Citizens side that won four consecutive league titles and a historic treble in 2022/23. An irreplaceable figure for club and country, he was recognised with the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

Marcos Llorente

Atletico reinvested their Rodri windfall into the signing of Marcos Llorente. The midfielder had been a bit-part player at Real Madrid but thrived after his cross-capital transfer.

Llorente has surpassed 233 appearances in an Atleti shirt and has been invaluable to Diego Simeone with his combination of versatility and work rate.

He was outstanding during the club’s 2020/21 La Liga title-winning campaign, scoring 12 times and assisting 11 more for the champions. It was a sweet moment for Llorente, as Atletico pipped former side Real Madrid to the title.

Luis Suarez

Back in 2013, Atletico Madrid snapped up David Villa from Barcelona for a cut-price fee. Ageing and unwanted at Barcelona, Atletico handed a lifeline to the Spanish striker and were rewarded after a crucial contribution to their 2013/14 title triumph.

Less than a decade later, Berta repeated the trick.

In 2020, Atletico signed Luis Suarez from Barcelona for a fee of just £5.5m. Deemed on the decline at Barcelona, Berta believed the Uruguayan marksman could lift Atletico up a level.

He was right.

Suarez scored 21 goals in 32 league games during his debut season as Atletico beat Barcelona to the title. His production slowed during his second season, but Suarez cemented his place in Atletico folklore with his 2020/21 exploits.

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