Arsenal have lastly unveiled the hiring of Andrea Berta as their new sporting director.
Berta reduce his tooth in his native Italy however made an actual title for himself with Atletico Madrid, the place he spent 4 years as a part of the boardroom workers earlier than assuming management of the membership’s switch enterprise in 2017 – a publish he held till his departure earlier this yr.
There are many jobs to occupy Berta following his swap to the Emirates. Contract points want addressing however, maybe extra importantly to Berta, Arsenal should decide on their method to the summer time switch window.
Throughout his time with Atletico, Berta struck gold on a handful of giant signings… however there have been additionally a number of he might not bear in mind fondly.
Rodri from Villarreal – €20m
Rodri got here by way of the Atletico Madrid academy however was launched earlier than his first style of senior motion. After a spell with Villarreal, Atletico quickly realised the error that they had made as they swooped to re-sign the midfield common for a price of round €20m in the summertime of 2018.
It was a transfer which went below most radars throughout Europe, however Rodri was a family title simply 12 months later when Manchester Metropolis triggered his £62.6m launch clause and commenced turning him right into a future Ballon d’Or winner.
Not solely did Berta assist determine Rodri’s potential sooner than most, however he managed to flip the Spain worldwide for an immense revenue after only one yr.
Marcos Llorente from Actual Madrid – €40m
Crossing the Madrid divide is a controversial transfer, however Atletico didn’t hesitate in bringing Marcos Llorente over from Actual in the summertime of 2019 to assist substitute Rodri.
For a participant who had turned out for Madrid simply 39 instances and was knowledgeable by Zinedine Zidane that he was not a part of his plans, €40m initially appears like a steep price, nevertheless it has become a masterstroke from Berta and Atletico.
Llorente was recognized as an ideal match below supervisor Diego Simeone, who has gone on at hand the versatile midfielder properly over 200 appearances, making him one of many boss’ hottest gamers ever.
Luis Suarez from Barcelona – €7m
Like many people, Berta and Atletico had been surprised by Barcelona’s declare in 2020 {that a} 33-year-old Luis Suarez was extra of a hinderance than a assist. They swooped in and capitalised on their rivals’ questionable determination, to signal the Uruguay worldwide for simply €7m.
It could not have been a trendy determination to recruit an ageing Suarez, however Berta and people calling the pictures within the switch division knew they had been on to a winner, and had been shortly confirmed appropriate.
Suarez spent two years with Atletico. His first seasons yielded 21 La Liga objectives and the league title, earlier than he added a good 11 in his second and remaining marketing campaign.
Antoine Griezmann from Barcelona – €20m
Your entire Antoine Griezmann saga is the purest definition of a switch masterstroke from Atletico and Berta.
Griezmann joined in 2014, when Berta was Atletico’s technical director, and blossomed right into a famous person. Atleti managed to flip him to Barcelona for €120m and watched on as he struggled horribly. They trusted the Frenchman, nonetheless, and introduced him again on an preliminary mortgage two years later in 2021.
As soon as once more, Griezmann was sensational for Atletico, who additional punished Barcelona’s monetary incompetence by declining to set off their €40m possibility for a everlasting switch and as an alternative extending his mortgage into the 2022/23 season. It was quickly confirmed that Griezmann would return completely for simply €20m. Really sensational enterprise.
Samu Aghehowa from Granada – €6m
Atletico signed Samu Aghehowa, then often known as Samu Omorodion, by triggering his €6m launch clause in 2023. On the time, few round Europe knew of the striker, however he would quickly be thrust into prominence.
Samu impressed on mortgage with Alaves and was then the topic of switch curiosity from each Aston Villa and Chelsea, and the Blues had been even near a €40m deal earlier than issues finally collapsed late on. As a substitute, Samu was offered to Porto.
Now broadly recognised as one among Europe’s best younger forwards, Samu is on the radar of a lot of the recreation’s elite sides, with Arsenal amongst these tipped to attempt deliver him to the Premier League.
Julian Alvarez from Man Metropolis – €95m
Whereas Atletico are primarily identified for making an attempt to strike bargains within the switch market, they deserted that technique as soon as it grew to become clear they may win the race to signal Julian Alvarez from Manchester Metropolis
It was an enormous expense, and one which shortly raised eyebrows in all places, however the Argentina striker settled into Simeone’s aspect instantly and has shortly turn out to be one of many crew’s most vital gamers.
A parting present from Berta, who stepped down from his place just some months after signing off on Alvarez’s arrival.
Diego Costa from Chelsea – €60m
Diego Costa will at all times be a well-liked determine at Atletico, however there is not any denying the circumstances surrounding his 2017 return to the membership had been greater than somewhat weird.
Costa had been banished by then-Chelsea boss Antonio Conte – the summer time switch window closed whereas he was preserving himself match coaching on the seashore – and had publicly confirmed he solely had curiosity in returning to Atletico.
Atletico had all of the bargaining chips, and but they nonetheless paid €60m for a participant whose contract was terminated simply three years later. Simeone’s insistance is believed to have performed a giant half in Atletico’s determination to spend such an enormous price.
Thomas Lemar from Monaco – €72m
Arsenal failed with a €100m bid to signal Thomas Lemar in 2017, 12 months earlier than Berta and Atletico pulled the set off on their very own €72m transfer for the Frenchman. They clearly weren’t alone of their lofty valuation of Lemar, even when it turned out to be misguided in hindsight.
Lemar stays with Atletico to this present day, however he’s firmly out within the chilly. Accidents and underwhelming kind have plagued his time in Spain which, up till Berta’s departure had yeilded simply ten objectives in over 4 years.
To Lemar’s credit score, he has confirmed a flexible squad possibility for Simeone, however that’s undeniably not what Atletico anticipated from their €72m signing.
Joao Felix from Benfica – €126m
This is one other which is straightforward to choose aside in hindsight. Atletico surprised the world after they paid a whopping €126m to signal a 19-year-old Felix to exchange Antoine Griezmann in the summertime of 2019.
It have to be mentioned that, on the time, Felix was seen as soccer’s subsequent large factor. That price ticket, whereas vital, was not fully unfathomable, however it could finish as much as hang-out Atletico over Felix’s blended 4 years on the membership as questions over his match below Simeone plagued his time on the membership.
After failing to reside as much as expectations, Felix has bounced round between Chelsea, Barcelona and AC Milan, having been offered to the previous at a lack of €74m.
