Berta "will try" to sign £160k-per-week star amid new Arsenal transfer plan

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is set to attempt a major summer signing for Mikel Arteta this summer, as the Gunners hatch an ambitious new transfer plan ahead of another potential Premier League title challenge next season.

Arsenal through to Champions League quarter-finals

The north Londoners are throwing all of their eggs in the Champions League basket, with Europe coming as their only chance to win a major piece of silverware before the end of the campaign.

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Arsenal open talks to sign £50m player with Berta expected to launch bid

The new Gunners sporting director already has targets in place.

Arsenal cruised through to the Champions League quarter-finals after beating PSV Eindhoven 9-3 on aggregate over the course of their two-legged Champions League last 16 tie, with Arteta’s side set to take on Real Madrid in the next round.

The Gunners boss praised just how atmospheric the Emirates Stadium was on Wednesday evening, despite the tie being a foregone conclusion, and Arteta will be hoping for more of the same when Carlo Ancelotti and co make the trip to north London.

“They told us that with the result that we had from the first leg that it wasn’t going to be full,” said Arteta on the crowd during their 2-2 draw with PSV.

“But there we had to continue and do the work in the manner that we wanted to finish the competition. Unfortunately, we haven’t managed to win the game, but we decided to make a lot of rotation as well. You could see in the second half that we were tired, we were late to be much more dominant in the opposition half and much more consistent, especially when we didn’t have the ball. But overall, I’m very happy because we have the second consecutive season in the Champions League quarter-finals. We’re going to travel to Madrid, but unfortunately, we don’t know who against yet.”

Ahead of their clash with PSV, major off-field news came to light that ex-Atletico Madrid director Berta was set to join Arsenal as Edu Gaspar’s replacement. The transfer chief comes to Arsenal with a stellar reputation, having enjoyed 12 successful years at the Wanda Metropolitano before departing in January.

Since his appointment, there has been much speculation over who the 53-year-old could look to sign for Arteta this summer.

Reports suggest that Berta is keen on striking a deal for Wolves forward Matheus Cunha, but the official also wants to seriously reinforce Arteta’s engine room.

Berta “will try” to sign Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes for Arsenal

According to journalist Eduardo Burgos, writing on social media, Arsenal have a new plan to make Arteta’s midfield “the strongest” in England.

As a result, £160,000-per-week Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes has emerged as a serious target for them.

Indeed, it is believed that Berta “will try” to sign Guimaraes for Arsenal this summer, alongside Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, who’s been heavily linked since January.

The Brazilian, who’s bagged eight assists from midfield in all competitions, is a highly creative and crucial mainstay starter for Eddie Howe, not to mention the Magpies captain, so his signing would be a hugely ambitious one from Berta.

The interest in Guimaraes is obvious, considering his midfield versatility and dynamism, but Newcastle certainly won’t let him go without a fight, amid claims that Arsenal also want his high-flying teammate Alexander Isak.