Matheus Cunha and Mikel Arteta (Photo by Alex Livesey, Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere has spoken about the Gunners potentially hiring Andrea Berta as their new sporting director.
Aliadiere seems to think the Atletico Madrid chief will be making the move to take over from Edu at the Emirates Stadium, while he also expects it will see Arsenal move for Matheus Cunha.
Cunha, currently at Wolves and enjoying a superb season, is known by Berta, who signed him for Atletico a few years ago.
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Aliadiere expects that could be a link-up that makes sense, and Arsenal would surely benefit from bringing in a talent like Cunha to give them more options in attack.
The Brazilian can play all across the front three, so could be ideal to either give Mikel Arteta’s side more of a goal threat in the centre, or a bit of spark from out wide to take the pressure off Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
COULD ANDREA BERTA BRING MATHEUS CUNHA TO ARSENAL?
Discussing Berta and Cunha in an interview with AceOdds.com, as quoted by the Metro, Aliadiere said: “Berta knows Cunha from their time at Atletico Madrid and it could be a deal that goes through.
“He’s having a great season in a team that’s struggling to fight relegation. That shows you how good he is and how quickly he’s adapted to the Premier League. He could be a good signing too.”
He added: “I think by the sound of it and what I was reading this morning, Andrea Berta seems to be the man in pole position at the moment. It seems like only small details remain, so it looks like he could be the new one.
“He has great experience and has been at Atletico Madrid for 12 years. If you look at the signings he has made and what the club has achieved, it is very exciting. Very, very exciting.
“If we look at the job Edu has done from when he came in and where Arsenal were, the signings he has made, I think he has done very well. You don’t work at Atletico alongside Diego Simeone if you’re not very good at your job, so I am very excited. But of course, we hope to sign some big players now.
“It is very exciting, and hopefully Berta’s good connections with the players he has signed in the past can help Arsenal. I think he would need to have a great relationship with Arteta.”
