with an appointment touted for the weeks and months ahead The director is best known for his time at Atletico Madrid where he managed to sign some important players to help the club progress Despite having a smaller budget than their La Liga rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, Andrea Berta helped keep the side competitive at the top It’s something he could now recreate at Arsenal taking on a side who have been close but just missed out in respect to the Premier League title So, with that said, here’s a look at everything you need to know about Arsenal sporting director target Andrea Berta who took to the world of football in 2002 when he was appointed as sporting director of AC Carpenedolo he has risen to the top to help Atletico Madrid become one of the big forces of European football which makes him 53 years old at the time of writing a city in northern Italy just east of major cities such as Milan and Bergamo The Italian businessman has gained a reputation for impressive deals as a sporting director Andrea Berta’s career in football started in 2002 when he joined Italian side AC Carpenedolo as their sporting director A four-year stint saw him leave in 2006 before joining Parma a few months later in 2007 It was a short two-year spell at Parma that was followed up by joining Genoa in 2009 to help the side climb in Serie A until he left in 2012 Then came Berta’s big move to Atletico Madrid in 2013 starting off as a technical director until he was promoted to sporting director in 2017 with a 13-year stay with the Spanish giants bringing about one of their most successful periods Andrea Berta had plenty of hits and misses on the transfer front Berta is capable of landing some of the biggest names out there The Italian was instrumental to Atletico Madrid’s success under Diego Simeone and could now succeed Edu in north London Sport | Football featuring team news and expert analysis from Simon Collings I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice Arsenal’s search for a new sporting director remains ongoing, but with fresh reports this week that Andrea Berta, formerly of Atletico Madrid, has emerged as a leading candidate The Gunners are on the hunt for a replacement for their former director Edu, who resigned in November in order to take on a role overseeing the group of clubs owner by Evangelos Marinakis Jason Ayto has been filling the role on an interim basis and remains an internal candidate with Arsenal keen to keep him on as a No2 even if he does not get the top job Executive vice-chair Tim Lewis and managing director Richard Garlick are continuing to lead the recruitment process, which manager Mikel Arteta suggested recently would be wrapped up “soon”. Here is all you need to know about the man who may well be in line for the post… After a career in banking, Berta made the leap into football in his early 30s when taking a job as sporting director at lower-league Italian club FC Carpenedolo. His work there began to attract the attention of more high-profile outfits and eventually led, in 2007, to the sporting director role at Parma and then, two years later, Genoa. Arsenal sporting director target revealed after 'AC Milan rejected' Spurs and Arsenal stadium contractor Severfield issues bleak profit warning Arsenal injury update: Saka and Martinelli latest return dates Satisfy your wanderlust with stellar travel ideas for the year ahead After helping Genoa to solidify their Serie A status following their recent promotion, Berta joined Atletico Madrid in 2013, reportedly on the recommendation of former Manchester United and Chelsea executive Peter Kenyon. Initially appointed as part of the club’s international scouting department, Berta’s influence in Madrid steadily grew and in 2017 he was promoted to sporting director. He held that post until the mutual termination of his contract in January this year. Across his 11-year association with the club, Atletico won two LaLiga titles, the Copa del Rey, the Europa League and both the Spanish and European Super Cups. Though there were suggestions of their relationship souring in recent years, Berta had previously been hailed as a key factor in keeping manager Diego Simeone at the club and in 2019 was named Sporting Director of the Year at the Globe Soccer Awards. At Atletico, Berta was hailed for his part in signing several of the players who would become a core part of the club’s success Prior to leaving Atletico earlier this year, the 53-year-old had been linked with a number of major European clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United. He was also linked with both Chelsea and Newcastle around the time of their respective takeovers and, according to reports in the Italian press, has recently turned down AC Milan. Early in his time at Atletico, Berta was hailed for his part in signing several of the players who would become a core part of the club’s success over the past decade, including Jan Oblak, Antoine Griezmann, Rodri and Yannick Carrasco. His record of profitable sales is also strong - including that of Thomas Partey to Arsenal - though there have been some expensive missteps in Atletico’s recruitment on Berta’s watch, most notably in the signings of Joao Felix and Thomas Lamar for around a combined £180million. More recently, Berta helped enact a rebuild of Simeone’s side last summer that included the arrivals of Julian Alvarez, Alexander Sorloth and Conor Gallagher, and currently has Atletico within a point of Barcelona at the top of the LaLiga table while still in Champions League and Copa del Rey contention. VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Lady Victoria Starmer VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade UK tourists face major travel shake-up as Dubai airport set to close Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin Royals watch historic flypast as huge crowds turns out for VE Day 80th anniversary  Royals watch historic Red Arrows flypast for VE Day 80th anniversary The Italian replaces Edu in the role after the Brazilian announced his resignation back in November to take up a role in the organisation of Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis Berta has forged a formidable reputation in the game after spending nearly 12 years with Atletico Madrid where he has earned plaudits for beating rivals to talent with bigger resources and turning big profits He has been taking English lessons in London while he previously held roles with Carpenedolo Speaking to Arsenal's official website he said: "I am thrilled to be joining Arsenal in what is a hugely exciting period for the club "I have watched with great interest the way Arsenal has evolved in recent years and I have admired the hard work that has gone into re-establishing the club as a major force in European football with a passionate following around the world "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 "I cannot wait to get started in my new role and I am really looking forward to experiencing my first game at Emirates Stadium together with our supporters." who are second in the Premier League and 12 points behind leaders Liverpool are back in top-flight action after the international break with a home fixture against Fulham at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday Andrea Berta spent almost 12 years at Atletico Madrid and is now readying for a new chapter as sporting director at Arsenal.Arsenal have announced the appointment of Andrea Berta as the club's new sporting director CLICK HERE for High School Football Scores View Past Issues indie web and mobile news platform with a local audience larger than all the San Angelo TV stations Advertising here can transform your business We understand that seeing some stories may be difficult for some readers Our goal as a news organization is to report on matters of public interest with accuracy and fairness While we recognize that certain stories can be sensitive or unsettling we are committed to providing transparent and factual reporting to keep our community informed If there are specific inaccuracies or additional context you believe would enhance the story, we encourage you to share those with us for consideration. 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Contact us here Premier League giants Arsenal has confirmed Andrea Berta as the new Sporting Director replacing Edu Gaspar who left the club Arsenal noted that Berta brings in a wealth of knowledge having worked with Italian sides Carpenedolo Parma and Genoa and recently with La Liga side Atletico Madrid “Andrea is a hugely respected figure in football and brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience He has worked in technical roles for Italian sides Carpenedolo Andrea spent almost 12 years with Atléti and played a major role in shaping the squads which won LaLiga titles in 2013/14 and 2020/21 the UEFA Super Cup and Supercopa de España during his time at the club as well as reaching two UEFA Champions League finals.” said Arsenal Andrea Berta took note of the hard work the club has undertaken to re-establish itself as a force in Europe “I am thrilled to be joining Arsenal in what is a hugely exciting period for the club I have watched with great interest the way Arsenal has evolved in recent years and I have admired the hard work that has gone in to reestablishing the club as a major force in European football with a passionate following around the world The club has great values and a rich history I cannot wait to get started in my new role and I am really looking forward to experiencing my first game at Emirates Stadium together with our supporters.” he said Arsenal Co-Chair Josh Kroenke also pointed out the vast knowledge that Berta posses and brings to the club “Anyone who knows football knows Andrea is an impressive figure a strong network and an insatiable desire to build winning teams Andrea will be a great addition to our club He understands our values and what we stand for and we have no doubt he will help us push on and take the next steps in our bid to win major trophies 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 We are really looking forward to working together and welcoming him into the Arsenal family.” he said Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value"