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Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta deserves a lot of credit for coming in and helping deliver the Premier League trophy to the Emirates in his first year at the club.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s safe to say the Italian supremo has successfully filled the void left by Edu Gaspar\u2019s surprise departure last year.<\/p>\n
After such an incredible first season working alongside Arsenal<\/strong> manager Mikel Arteta, we\u2019ve ranked Berta\u2019s top six decisions so far.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The finances involved in signing Mosquera from Valencia were outrageous. The 21-year-old centre-back is clearly very talented and confident, passing the Anfield test on his competitive debut<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Mosquera\u2019s Valencia contract was due to expire in 2026, which massively played into Arsenal\u2019s hands, but the \u00a313million fee was still a snip. The fact he was convinced, with Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba ahead of him, to choose the Gunners over other top clubs is a testament both of where Arsenal are right now and to how good Berta is at his job.<\/p>\n Despite being a man mountain, Mosquera is a very capable right-back and looks likely to start there in the Champions League final.<\/p>\n His potential is enormous. And he\u2019s not half bad already.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Berta and Arteta\u2019s hands were forced by an injury to Kai Havertz, which would have guiltily delighted Eze, who secured a dream move to the club he was let go by as a young whippersnapper. He was close to joining Tottenham Hotspur, but instead joined their rivals and proceeded to score five goals in two Premier League games against them, including a hat-trick at the Emirates.<\/p>\n Spurs\u2019 loss was Arsenal\u2019s gain and, in completely anti-Arsenal fashion, they acted ruthlessly and decisively in their pursuit of Eze, getting the deal done swiftly and announcing the signing in front of the Emirates crowd before a Premier League game against Leeds, just days after initiating the hijack.<\/p>\n The signing of Eze in itself is an excellent piece of business from Berta, but the manner in which the deal was executed was so uncharacteristically brilliant. Edu could never.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Arsenal\u2019s search for a new striker frustrated fans before they went all-in on Viktor Gyokeres, who was always Berta\u2019s preferred choice over Benjamin Sesko.<\/p>\n It was a straight shootout between the more experienced, proven goalscorer Gyokeres and the younger, more exciting and versatile Sesko, who ended up leaving RB Leipzig for Manchester United after Arsenal opted for the Swede.<\/p>\n Reports suggested that Berta and Arsenal were being meticulous in their research, refusing to rush into signing one of the two. The club wanted their new striker signed in time to play in Hong Kong during pre-season, but the Premier League season was still a long way off, and Berta was acutely aware of that.<\/p>\n Berta was diving deep into the price of both players and what they could bring to this Arsenal side. While the jury is still out on Gyokeres, it was incredibly important that an out-and-out centre-forward was signed, as the Emirates faithful had been crying out for one since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left in 2022<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Maybe Hugo Ekitike would have been the best option but there\u2019s no doubt that Gyokeres\u2019 signing helped elevate Arsenal to Premier League glory. He has been improving every week and while his goal return of 14 in 35 league games is viewed as underwhelming by some, his overall play and presence have made a significant difference.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Arsenal have agreed new long-term, high-salary contracts with two of the best English teenagers under Berta\u2019s watch. Sure, you might think anyone posing as a sporting director could convince a young, local lad to stay by putting \u00a350,000 a week on the table, but it\u2019s not quite that simple.<\/p>\n Particularly with Nwaneri, there was a challenge in promising him the right pathway into the first team. Club captain Martin Odegaard is ahead of him in the midfield pecking order, and Bukayo Saka has the right-wing spot nailed down for the next decade \u2014 assuming he remains injury-free for the majority of his Arsenal career.<\/p>\n If there is a route through for Nwaneri, it involves dislodging one of the club\u2019s most influential players or making an impact off the bench and in cup competitions before reaching an age when a lack of playing time becomes a serious hindrance to his career. That is because a loan spell at Marseille in the second half of this season has done him no favours.<\/p>\n Both Nwaneri and Miles Lewis-Skelly are destined for huge futures at Arsenal and for England as well. The latter previously established himself as an England regular, having been called up for all three of Thomas Tuchel\u2019s camps, before a lack of game time until recently. Arteta clearly favours Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie at left-back, but Lewis-Skelly has taken his chance in midfield and could start the Champions League final over big-money summer signing Martin Zubimendi.<\/p>\n READ:\u00a0Arsenal pair among world\u2019s highest-paid teenagers after signing new contracts<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n In February, Arsenal\u2019s Starboy signed a new contract until 2030, and that means absolutely everything to the club\u2019s fanbase, who adore Bukayo Saka.<\/p>\n Tying Saka down to a long-term deal was imperative for Arsenal and, for everything he has produced over the last six years, he is more than deserving of being the club\u2019s highest earner.<\/p>\n Saka reportedly earns around \u00a3300,000 a week and his loyalty and dedication are unmatched. He is now a Premier League champion and, surely, the floodgates will open for him and his team-mates when it comes to trophies.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Amid genuine interest from Real Madrid, keeping Saliba for the long term was a real concern due to the lack of silverware during Arteta\u2019s reign.<\/p>\n The French international is widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs in Europe and forms what many believe is the best defensive partnership on the continent alongside Gabriel.<\/p>\n Despite Saliba being good enough to play for anyone, Arsenal and Andrea Berta kept calm and convinced the defender to commit his future to the club he supported as a young boy. Now a Premier League winner, Saliba has the chance to beat his hometown club, Paris Saint-Germain, in the Champions League final on May 30 and cement himself as an Arsenal legend.<\/p>\n READ NEXT: Arsenal dominate ranking of ways to win title from worst to best \u2013 but 2026 effort is 30th<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/div>\n6) Cristhian Mosquera deal<\/h2>\n
5) Signing the King’s Mercy<\/h2>\n
4) The striker search<\/h2>\n
3) Tying down Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly<\/h2>\n
2) Extending Bukayo Saka’s contract<\/h2>\n
1) Extending William Saliba\u2019s contract<\/h2>\n