Arsenal are still on the hunt for a new sporting director.
The Gunners have been without anyone in that role since Edu Gaspar decided to resign from his position in November last year.
Jason Ayto has taken interim charge of Arsenal, but the North Londoners want to make a permanent appointment as soon as possible.
Andrea Berta is a strong candidate, but there is no guarantee that he will be appointed just yet. Fabrizio Romano has explained why.
Arsenal have not yet appointed Andrea Berta as their new sporting director because of the Kroenkes
Berta is one of the biggest names in European football.
The Italian spent over a decade at Atletico Madrid – as their technical director in his first four years there before being promoted to become their sporting director.
During his time at Atleti, Berta helped Diego Simeone’s side dethrone Barcelona and Real Madrid on a couple of occasions and also built a team that won the Europa League in 2018.
On paper, Berta feels like a great option to replace Edu at Arsenal, and Romano has claimed that the Gunners are in talks with him.
Furthermore, Berta is prioritising Arsenal over other clubs as well, but he isn’t any closer to the job than he was a few weeks ago for one reason – the Kroenkes.
Romano has revealed that Arsenal’s owners have not yet given the ‘green light’ for Berta to become the club’s new sporting director.
The journalist said in a video on his YouTube channel: “Arsenal don’t even have a director now.
“Remember, they are talking to Andrea Berta, but there is no final green light from the owners of Arsenal. So, let’s wait for the green light from the owners.
“They also have the internal option of Jason Ayto as a possibility, but again, it depends on what the owners decide to do. Berta is giving the priority to Arsenal. Now, it’s on the owners.”
Andrea Berta or Jason Ayto – who should Arsenal appoint as Edu’s successor?
For those who don’t know who Ayto is, he was Edu’s assistant at Arsenal during the Brazilian’s time at the club.
The 40-year-old is said to be highly regarded behind the scenes at the Emirates, and he is in the running to become the permanent sporting director of Arsenal.
However, the Gunners need someone who is vastly experienced, has strong contacts across Europe and can complete big deals over a phone call.
Berta checks all of those boxes, and if the choice is between him and Ayto, it should be an easy decision for the Kroenkes and the Arsenal board.
It remains to be seen if other names will enter into the mix in the coming days.
