All the soundings about Andrea Berta paint him out to be an ambitious and seasoned operator in the transfer market who could prove to be a potentially excellent hire for Arsenal.
The Italian already has his own transfer targets in mind ahead of the summer transfer window, with Berta plotting a move for Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United.
Andrea Berta eyes Jonathan David at Arsenal as well and it seems like he does not hesitate from thinking outside the box in the transfer market.
A summer spending spree is expected at Arsenal once Andrea Berta walks in through the door.
Amidst all the talk surrounding Arsenal and their potential summer business, one position that they might try to upgrade is left-wing.
Andrea Berta’s preferred choice is Matheus Cunha over Nico Williams at present.
Andrea Berta could cost Arsenal by signing Matheus Cunha over Nico Williams
Berta has informed Arsenal about signing Cunha as well but Mikel Arteta is a huge fan of Williams.
However, Andrea Berta could be making a huge mistake if one of his first moves at Arsenal is to sign Cunha over Williams.
Firstly, unlike the Wolves talisman who is a striker by trade, Nico Williams is a natural left-winger. Much like how Kai Havertz struggled at Arsenal when being deployed in midfield in his first few months, pigeonholing Matheus Cunha as a wideman could be a repeat of the same error in player profiling.
But even when comparing both players, it would make far more sense for Arsenal to sign the Spaniard over Cunha in general. Williams is three years younger than the Brazilian international and has a higher ceiling — having proven his class at the world stage by emerging as one of the best players at Euro 2024.
Andrea Berta would know more than most that Cunha, while having impressed in the Premier League did not set the world alight at Atletico Madrid as he registered seven goals and eight assists in 54 appearances.
But even in terms of their respective profiles, Arsenal need a player like Williams far more than Cunha. The 25-year-old, despite being a centre-forward is not a traditional striker and often does his best work in deeper areas — carrying the ball and linking up play — in a similar vein to Gabriel Jesus instead of occupying the box.
Williams, on the other hand is an out-and-out winger and one who would be a massive upgrade on both Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard — with the Bilbao forward ticking boxes they struggle to — able to take on defenders at will, create chances and produce something out of nothing in the final third.
Andrea Berta is an experienced head and ideally, the 53-year-old should be able to change his mind as Williams is ready to sign for Arsenal and is genuinely one of the most gifted youngsters in world football.
Comparing Nico Williams and Matheus Cunha’s stats this season
But purely based on their respective goals and assists, Cunha has the edge over Williams.
| MATHEUS CUNHA | NICO WILLIAMS | |
| STARTS | 26 | 28 |
| GOALS | 15 | 7 |
| ASSISTS | 4 | 7 |
Cunha has 15 goals and four assists in 26 starts across all competitions while Williams has seven goals and assists apiece in 28 starts.
However, it is important to remember that as impressive as the former’s numbers are, he has more experience and is a striker, which explains his superior goal output.
But Andrea Berta is unlikely to make any decisions in the transfer market based solely on statistics and as a result, Cunha’s superior numbers will not mean he completely rules out the prospect of signing Williams.
