Atlético Madrid Sporting Director Andrea Berta has reached an agreement to join Arsenal..

The Athletic's resident renowned English transfer journalist David Ornstein, exclusively reported on Sunday that Atlético Madrid's Italian Sporting Director Andrea Berta has reached an agreement to join Arsenal.

According to Ornstein's report, Berta has reached an agreement with Arsenal and will take office immediately after his application for a UK work permit is approved.

Ornstein also revealed that Berta had actually informed Atlético Madrid of his intention to resign after the winter transfer window in January. After that, it coincided with the resignation of Arsenal's former Sporting Director Edu Gaspar, who has moved to Nottingham Forest, and the strong recommendation of coach Arteta, Berta naturally became the candidate that the Gunners wanted to appoint.

After Edu left, his position has always been temporarily replaced by his former assistant Jason Ayto.

Although there have been rumours that different candidates have been linked to Arsenal during this entire time, Ornstein said that Berta has always been the only candidate that the Premier League giants have ever wanted. 

About Andrea Berta

Andrea Berta, 53, was born on January 1, 1972 in Brescia, Italy. He had no experience as a professional football player when he was young.

Berta joined Carpenedolo, a local non-league club in Brescia, as Managing Director in the summer of 2001.

In January 2007, he moved to Parma as Sporting Director.

In September 2009, Berta was appointed Sporting Director at Genoa.

As Genoa's Sporting Director, Berta helped the club sign Argentina legendary international striker Rodrigo Palacio, greatly reducing the vacancy left by the player's compatriot Diego Milito after he had moved to Inter Milan.

In the summer of 2013, Berta was appointed as Technical Director at Atlético Madrid, and in the summer of 2017, he became the club's Sporting Director.

During his 12-year spell at Los Colchoneros, Berta signed star players such as Antoine Griezmann, Jan Oblak, Ángel Correa, Luis Suárez, Julián Álvarez, Alexander Sørloth and others for the club, helping Atléti become the third most powerful club in La Liga after Barcelona and its city rivals Real Madrid.