Arsenal linked sporting director Andrea Berta's top five signings at Atletico Madrid

The Italian had brought some top stars to the Spanish club.

Arsenal are now nearing the appointment of former Atletico Madrid sporting director Andrea Berta.

After 12 stellar years with the LaLiga powerhouse, 53-year-old Berta decided to end his contract with Atletico Madrid in January. The Italian is seemingly on his way to get a new job, starting advanced negotiations with Arsenal to take Edu’s place after he shockingly announced his departure in November.

After stints with Parma and Genoa, Berta started his career as a sporting director with Italian minnows AC Carpenedolo. Berta later established himself in Madrid, where he was named Sporting Director of the Year at the 2019 Globe Soccer Awards and made deals that clubs all around Europe envy.

As Arsenal approach their new sporting director, we have selected Berta’s top five acquisitions at Atletico Madrid.

🚨🔴⚪️ More on Andrea Berta and Arsenal story reported earlier today.The negotiations are at advanced stages as Berta is giving priority to Arsenal as next destination.All parties are confident to get the agreement done this month, with details still left to be sorted. pic.twitter.com/2WfavMWAUA

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 3, 2025

5. Yannick Carrasco

After Andrea Berta was unable to get Nicolas Gaitan, head coach Diego Simeone’s top target in 2015, Yannick Carrasco was signed. According to reports, Berta personally suggested Carrasco as a backup, and the £17 million surprise acquisition from Monaco turned out to be one of his greatest.

Carrasco’s first stint saw him score the equalizer in the 2016 Champions League final. He was the dependable presence on the left flank, whether as a winger or subsequently as a wing-back.

He made 44 outings in each of his final two seasons before joining the Saudi Arabian team Al-Shabab for £12 million in 2023.

4. Jan Oblak

Jan Oblak has been Atletico’s number one goalkeeper for the past ten years. As Thibaut Courtois, who had been on loan from Chelsea, left, the Slovenian had large shoes to fill when Berta signed him for £13 million from Benfica.

Oblak has since established himself as one of the most proficient and reliable goalkeepers in Europe. Oblak has been a huge success, keeping an amazing 171 clean sheets in 358 league games, and Berta hasn’t had to search for a new first-choice goalkeeper since.

3. Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez‘s transfer to Atletico shows that the best acquisitions don’t always have to be long-term. In 2020, the former Liverpool player was sold by Barcelona for a mere £5.5 million, a decision that even drew criticism from Lionel Messi.

At Barca, Suarez, 33, was exhibiting signs of deterioration, and there were concerns about how he would fit into Simeone’s strict system. However, with 21 goals and 32 league games, all of those fears were dispelled, and he helped Atletico win the league title once more.

2. Antoine Griezmann

Berta signed Antoine Griezmann to Atletico Madrid in 2014. Berta was aware that Atletico needed a top striker after they won the league for the first time in eighteen years under Diego Simeone in 2014.

In order to concentrate on transfers, he chose to skip their 2014 preseason tour. It paid off, as they paid £24 million to sign Griezmann from Real Sociedad. During his first stint, the Frenchman participated in 257 games, tallying 50 assists and 133 goals.

After Barcelona activated Greizmann’s release clause in 2019, Atletico made a whopping £84 million profit on the player. However, his time at Barcelona ended up in failure as he returned to Atletico and has been thriving ever since.

1. Rodri

The midfield player, who spent his early years at Atletico, was acquired from Villarreal in 2018 for almost £20 million.

Los Colchoneros easily finished second over Real Madrid thanks to Rodri’s contribution to the club. Both Manchester City and Bayern Munich made offers to pay Rodri’s £62 million release clause after keeping a close eye on him.

The decision to join City was simple, and Pep Guardiola was able to get the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner. This also saw Atletico make a healthy profit from the midfielder’s exit.

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