Arsenal have confirmed the appointment of Andrea Berta as their new sporting director.
Italian Berta, 53, becomes the permanent successor to Edu after the former Gunners midfielder left Emirates Stadium at the end of 2024.
Edu’s deputy Jason Ayto was appointed interim sporting director following the Brazilian’s departure and was a serious contender for the position.
There is hope that Berta will be in attendance for Arsenal’s Premier League meeting with Fulham on Tuesday night.
“I am thrilled to be joining Arsenal in what is a hugely exciting period for the club,” said Berta.
“The club has great values and a rich history, and I am looking forward to playing my part in shaping a successful future with a great team.”
Berta arrives in north London with the reputation of being one of the shrewdest sporting directors in European football.
He worked for Italian sides Parma and Genoa before joining Atletico Madrid, initially as their technical director, in 2013.
Arsenal co-chairman Josh Kroenke said: “Anyone who knows football knows Andrea is an impressive figure. He has vast knowledge of the game, a great track record, a strong network and an insatiable desire to build winning teams.
“We undertook a thorough recruitment process and we were hugely impressed with the level of all the other candidates, but it was Andrea’s experience and the success he has enjoyed that stood out.”
There are a few immediate issues he has to deal with.
The main and most obvious task is to ensure that Arsenal bring in a much-needed forward. The Gunners have suffered key injuries to key attackers this season and have not brought in a forward for two transfer windows in a row.
Kai Havertz has done excellently in filling that void but at times Arsenal’s need for a natural goal scorer has been obvious.
RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko has long been monitored, while Newcastle forward Alexander Isak is also being linked with a move to north London.
