2 days Ago By Dom Smith
Mikel Arteta hopes new sporting director Andrea Berta brings his own “twist” on Arsenal ’s recruitment. Speaking on Monday, the Arsenal head coach praised the “charisma” of Berta and revealed his excitement that the Italian opted to join Arsenal when other clubs were also keen on him. Berta, 53, was announced as Arsenal’s sporting director on Sunday and was working from the club’s Sobha Realty training ground on Monday morning.
Edu, his predecessor, left the role in early November. “I think it's a big addition to the club, a big addition to the team, a team that is already formed with a lot of great people,” Arteta said of Berta’s arrival. “Rich [Garlick] leading it, obviously, but as well with James [King], with Jason [Ayto], with a lot of people at the club that have been doing such good work.
It's about building out that chemistry. And I believe Josh has been fully involved in the process as well. So we are all very excited to have him.
” Arteta told reporters at his press conference ahead of Tuesday’s game against Fulham: “You just met him [Berta] and straight away the words that come out are always winning, improving and demanding. “He's a very honest, very straightforward person, with a clear vision of what he wants to do. He was so willing to join us, which is a very positive thing as well because he has many other possibilities and he's chosen to come to us.
And now it's about us giving him the support and the understanding of the situation and context straight away. “For him to start to do what he's already done for many, many years at the highest level [is] very impressive.” Arteta added that Berta, the former Atletico Madrid sporting director, has a “very contagious” personality, and that to have people with “different expertise and experiences” is “very, very helpful”.
Asked whether he was involved in Berta being hired, Arteta replied: “Yeah, we were all involved. And what I like the most immediately is how much he wanted to come to the club. He was really attracted and really excited about that possibility.
And then the way he believes that he can help us to achieve what we want. “All the work that the recruitment — Jason, James and all the boys — have been doing is prepared. “That planning has to be tweaked because what you execute most of the time ends up being a bit different from the direction of the vision.
And what we want to do is clear. He [will] jump on board with that and hopefully he [will] twist it and make it better. That's why he's here.
”.
