Mikel Arteta offers key Arsenal transfer guarantee before crucial summer window | OneFootball

Gunners have a pivotal few months ahead, with a statement striker signing top of their to-do list

Mikel Arteta insists he is fully aligned with new sporting director Andrea Berta when it comes to Arsenal’s transfer plans this summer.

Berta was hired by Arsenal at the end of March following the resignation of predecessor Edu in November last year.

Edu had worked with Arteta ever since the Spaniard was hired by the Gunners back in December 2019 and the pair had developed a strong relationship.

Arteta has described Berta as “very driven”, but insists the pair are on the same page when it comes to how Arsenal need to bolster their squad this summer.

“On what we have to do, yes [we are fully aligned],” said Arteta. “On what we can do, I don’t know.

“I think sometimes from the plan that we had, and actually what we’re able to execute, we’ve never been able to replicate it exactly.

“This is football. It happens to every football club, that’s why we plan certain ways and okay, if we cannot do it, we do something else.

“I think the aim is clear but then you have to just do it slowly, thing by thing and start to achieve it.

“A big part of that as well is keeping and making sure that the players that are here are happy, they feel valued and they are willing to continue with us. That’s very, very important.”

Arsenal’s priority is a new striker this summer, but they would like to add a winger as well.

The club are also well-positioned to complete the signing of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who has a release clause of around £50million.

Arsenal have been linked with a string of strikers, but Arteta cannot see a scenario where he and Berta are not agreed on going for the same target.

“If that happens that means that we cannot explain ourselves well enough and we are not clear enough on what we want, and I guarantee you that hasn’t happened,” he said.

“It didn’t happen in five-and-a-half years with Edu and I guarantee you [the same] with Andrea. They are good to say: ‘Mikel, look this and this is what we need’, and I say go for it and do it.

“If not, it’s because I will ask that many questions and we will do so much work that it will be so evident that this is what we don’t have to do, it’s not going to fit.

“We have learned a lot, some of them that have worked really well and others not and that’s for the ones as well that we have to learn so well to make sure that we make the right calls. But we are all human beings and fortunately nobody’s got a crystal ball here.”