The arrival of Andrea Berta comes off the back of former Arsenal player and director Edu leaving to join Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marniakis and his network of clubs.

Berta comes with an impressive CV with the ability to bring across signings like Antoine Griezmann, Jan Oblak, Rodri, Luis Suarez and Keiran Trippier at Atletico Madrid.

Just some examples of the successful signings he helped to make at his time in the Spanish Capital.

Recruitment is absolutely vital for football clubs. We’ve seen the grumblings of Arsenal not signing a striker grow louder throughout the season and though they’ve had to content with many injuries, it’s hard to look at the transfer market before this season started and say it’s been a success or at least effective.

Though there has been somewhat of an overreaction to Arsenal’s regression this season, what Berta must do and what he must prioritise seems clear:

Freshen up the forward line

Has any of the attacking signings in recent years shouldered the scoring responsibility for the Gunners?

Kai Havertz was a shrewd signing. He makes the team better, he scores, he can play in midfield, but ideally you need someone who can score more than 13 league goals which is the most Havertz has ever scored in an Arsenal shirt.

The same goes for Gabriel Jesus who has suffered a loss of form and been injured too much. Raheem Sterling has also been an underwhelming signing.

The plan should be to find a central striker who can compliment Arseal’s exciting wingers.

It may seem obvious, but a striker or a forward option must be a priority. Mikel Arteta lamented the short amount of numbers he had in attack in the January transfer window, indicating that the manager himself would like another striker.

Maintain key relationships

The primary reason why Edu was and other sporting directors like Martin Edwards who was revolutionary at Liverpool are successful is because everyone works in tandem with each other.

The director, manager, chief executive are all influential people that function together and that will translate into how a club perform both on the pitch and off it.

Keeping a firecracker manager like Diego Simeone happy is no easy feat as the Argentinian had power at Atletico Madrid with Berta happy to execute his transfer plans.

Remarkably, Berta has no former ties with football, by trade he is a banker which makes it all the more impressive that many in the footballing world speak so well of him.

It helps to a degree that Arteta had a hand in the recruitment process himself, however regardless he will need the same charm and charismatic ability to work with an ambitious manager like Mikel Arteta whose power has grown at the club with the manager overseeing a period of success.

Manage expectations and outgoings

Arriving at a club when the mood is not the most buoyant means the pressure increases.

Berta has to maintain this Arsenal side whilst ensuring it’s reinvigorated for next season, motivated by the 24/25 season as it has not gone as planned.

Emile Smith-Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Aaron Ramsdale all left last season for the sum of £70m, this helped with PSR and also provided funds for Arsenal to buy Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori.

Jorginho and Thomas Partey both have contracts that run out at the end of the season. If both are to leave at the same time, Arsenal and Berta have to make sure the squad as a whole doesn’t suffer.

As we’ve seen this season when injuries and suspensions occur, attention turns to using the rest of the squad.

Bert arrived at a time where he provided Atletico Madrid with a killer edge and along with Simeone, they became an elite team that won huge trophies against the odds.

Berta needs to bring the same experience, nous and edge to a team that needs to take the final step for an elite team to be successful.