Berta boost, Pedro links, Cunha & more

Andrea Berta can be a difference-maker for Arsenal in the transfer market

I thought the messages that were coming out from Arsenal around the Newcastle game on Sunday were very interesting. They certainly did very little to dampen the expectation of the fans ahead of the summer.

You had Josh Kroenke guaranteeing that the club would invest to strengthen the squad and you had Mikel Arteta insisting, both before the game and afterwards, that plans for the upcoming window were set and ready to be put into action.

The line in Arteta’s interview with Sky just after full-time when he said “enjoy a few days [off] and make sure the ones upstairs, they do what they have to do” was particularly eye-catching. It almost felt like a challenge from the Arsenal manager.

And to be honest that is no real surprise because he will have been as frustrated as anyone about the lack of business that was done in January. He was left woefully short of options, especially in attack, and Arsenal’s Premier League chances disappeared as a result.

That can’t happen again. He knows it and I would hope those above him at the club know it as well.

All the noises we are hearing certainly suggests it’s going to be a big summer at Arsenal. There is plenty of business to be done to strengthen a squad that is already viewed as being short in key areas.

There are big expectations about what needs to be done and that was why Andrea Berta was appointed as sporting director.

The club see him as a difference maker when it comes to the market. Someone who will allow them to get deals done that maybe they wouldn’t have been able to in the past.

There were plenty of other candidates for the sporting director position and Arsenal believed all of those who got to the final stages of the process were capable of doing a fine job in the role.

But Berta just stood out over the rest. They are delighted that he has come on board and are very excited about the job he will be able to do.

I do think we will see a significant summer at Arsenal.

There will be lots of deals done, both incomings and outgoings and the squad will get a bit of a refresh.

I know some fans’ confidence has been hit by the inactivity they have seen in recent windows, but I do get the feeling that this summer will be different.

Money will be spent and the attack will be strengthened. It should be an exciting one.

Joao Pedro linked with Arsenal, but he’s not what they need

I have to admit the Joao Pedro link that we’ve seen recently is not one that does very much for me in terms of excitement.

He’s a good player. He catches my eye almost every time I watch Brighton.

But I look at him and I just don’t really think he is someone that this Arsenal squad needs right now.

He’s not an out and out No.9 and he’s not really a player who likes to play out wide either. Both of those positions have to be the priority for Arsenal this summer.

The only way I really see someone like Joao Pedro being useful for Arsenal is if he was to sign in addition to a new No.9 and a new winger and I really don’t see that happening given the money Arsenal are going to have to spend elsewhere.

And we know that Joao Pedro would not come cheap.

Brighton spent around £30 million to bring him in from Watford in 2023 and you would think they would want double that at the very least to let him go.

So I would be surprised if that’s one that Arsenal follow up.

Arsenal looked at Matheus Cunha – and I’m surprised he’s joining Manchester United

It now looks highly likely that Matheus Cunha will be heading to Manchester United after Arsenal also recently showed an interest in him.

It was clear that he was going to be leaving Wolves this summer, but I’m slightly surprised by this move as I figured he would choose a club that had a bit more stability around it than United does at the moment.

I think it’s a really good move from United, mind you – they desperately need more quality, especially in attack and Cunha will immediately improve the attacking options Ruben Amorim will have at his disposal.

He’s better than anything United have right now, not that that is very difficult obviously.

Arsenal did look at Cunha as a possible option in January, but it never really went any further than that.

I believe they viewed him as a potential opportunity in the January market, but it became pretty clear that financially it wasn’t going to work and then he signed his deal anyway at Molineux.

I’ve never viewed him as a possibility for this summer. The club clearly have other priorities when it comes to strengthening in attack.

In a way I think he’s a bit similar to Joao Pedro in terms of the position he plays. He’s not really an out and out No.9 or a winger and those are the two positions that Arsenal really want to improve on.

Eberechi Eze is going to move soon, and Arsenal need to be on it

The cup final was fantastic at the weekend, unless you are a Manchester City fan of course.

But for pretty much everyone else who was watching it was just a joy to see Crystal Palace win and see their fans celebrate a first ever major trophy.

The scenes in the stands were just brilliant. It was impossible not to be touched by the emotion that flooded out of all those Palace supporters after the full-time whistle. That’s what football is all about.

It was absolutely no surprise to me to see Eberechi Eze make the difference on the day. I thought he was superb.

And it wasn’t just his goal, it was the way he played the game, especially in the second half. He was so clever with the ball whenever he was in possession.

I think he’s a wonderful player, someone who would be perfect for this Arsenal team.

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He can play on the left side of the attack, which Arsenal clearly need, but he can also play centrally so would give Mikel Arteta another option there as well.

I don’t know if the club are seriously considering him as a target this summer. I’ve not been told that they are. But if they are not, then they really should be.

You can see that he’s ready to take that next step in his career now. He’s going to move soon, even the most ardent Palace fan will know that is the case.

And if he does come on the market this summer, then Arsenal should be at the front of the queue.