Despite Andrea Berta set to oversee his first summer transfer window as Arsenal’s sporting director, he cannot afford to make mistakes as it is essential for him to make a strong first impression with the fans.
If Arsenal fail to win any major silverware this season, Berta will especially have to deliver due to the understandable frustration amongst the supporters after having not won a single major trophy since 2020.
Mikel Arteta will be backed in the summer as the Gunners seem to have big plans to reshape their squad.
Andrea Berta could spend £300 million plus just on transfers and he already seems to have his targets in place — from Viktor Gyokeres to Leroy Sane.
Arsenal should not sign Leroy Sane in the summer
Arsenal held talks to sign Leroy Sane, who Mikel Arteta coached during his time at Pep Guardiola’s assistant coach at Manchester City.
Leroy Sane is open to leaving Bayern Munich — which is especially ideal for an Arsenal side who are in need to sign a winger who can not only provide adequate cover in case of Bukayo Saka’s absence but help the Englishman carry the burden of their attack on the opposite flank.
However, Andrea Berta could be at risk of making his first mistake in the transfer window at the Emirates Stadium by signing the German international.
Simply put, Sane is no longer the same player he was at Manchester City — as he has rightly earned the reputation for being one of the best dribblers in Europe who was capable of scoring and assisting goals at the drop of a hat.
The two-time Premier League winner is yet to set the world alight despite joining Bayern in 2020 — with his unfortunate ACL injury in 2019 seemingly impacting his sprinter-like pace from his time at City and an insistence of playing on the right flank and in central areas affecting the decorated wideman’s direct playing style.
The stats back up how disappointing Sane has really been in a Bayern shirt, as he is yet to have registered 30 goal contributions in a single campaign despite being primed to become a superstar at the Etihad Stadium.
| LEROY SANE STATS AT BAYERN MUNICH | ||
| SEASON | GOALS | ASSISTS |
| 2020/2021 | 10 | 11 |
| 2021/2022 | 14 | 15 |
| 2022/2023 | 14 | 10 |
| 2023/2024 | 10 | 13 |
| 2024/2025 | 13 | 5 |
Harry Kane raved about Sane’s quality and while that has never been a doubt, it is difficult to see what he adds to an Arsenal side as he is no longer the same high-flying left-winger as well — often doing his best work in central areas in a division where there is far more space on offer anyway.
At 29, the £54.8 million (Sky Sports) man is well past his prime and Mikel Arteta should instead be handed another world-class winger like Saka who can be classed as a player perfect for a win-now project like Arsenal’s.
Andrea Berta has a Leroy Sane alternative in mind for Mikel Arteta
However, Andrea Berta is looking to sign another wide forwards apart from Sane.
One of them is Nico Williams, who Mikel Arteta admires and considers as the perfect signing for his side.
Andrea Berta has spoken to Nico Williams already, who he considers ideal for his project and at 22, the Spaniard is everything that Sane was at Manchester City.
