Andrea Berta reportedly wants Arsenal to acquire the services of Pablo Barrios from his former club Atletico Madrid.
According to a report from Graeme Bailey on TBR Football, Andrea Berta would love to bring Atletico Madrid midfield sensation Pablo Barrios to Arsenal. The Italian transfer guru is all set to take charge at the North London club, and his arrival could intensify their pursuit of the Spanish international.
Arsenal have been on the lookout for a new sporting director since the departure of Edu Gaspar toward the end of 2024. After holding talks with quite a few top targets, they finally struck a deal to bring Berta to the club.
The 53-year-old who parted ways with Atletico Madrid at the start of 2025 is all set to take charge at the North London club ahead of the all-important transfer window. The Gunners will look to make quite a few changes to their squad this summer, and Berta will have a big say on the potential signings.
Berta to push for Barrios signing
While the priority will be to bring in a world-class striker, the North London club also want to reinforce their midfield. Martin Zubimendi is their top target but they are also interested in the services of Pablo Barrios who has gone from strength to strength since breaking into Diego Simeone’s first team.
The 21-year-old midfielder has 31 appearances in the ongoing campaign, and he started both the legs of their UEFA Champions League tie against Real Madrid. The Spanish international can feature in any role in the centre of the park, and he is a very important part of Simeone’s long-term plans.
While his contract there runs until 2028, some clubs would love to prise him away. Arsenal are long-term admirers of Pablo Barrios. The Gunners want more quality in midfield, and they believe the Spanish midfielder could be an ideal fit for Mikel Arteta’s system.
Berta, who will soon take charge as Arsenal’s new sporting director, is also a big admirer of the youngster. Having seen him from close quarters during his time at the Madrid club, he is convinced that Barrios could do wonders for the Premier League outfit.
While he would love to bring the Spaniard to North London, the financial side of things won’t be that easy. Barrios’s contract at Atletico Madrid has a massive €100 million release clause, and the Gunners would surely not be willing to trigger it even if they do make a move.