Andrea Berta has suddenly sprung into action in the transfer market in his first summer as Arsenal’s new sporting director, with deals for Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera all close.
The Italian was appointed as Edu’s successor back in March, after the Brazilian opted to leave the Emirates to oversee Evangelos Marinakis’ network of clubs.
Senior figures are impressed by Berta, although some sections of the Gunners’ fanbase have been sceptical of the former Atletico Madrid man’s early work in N5.
However, Arsenal are now closing in on deals for four players, while the pursuit of a winger and a striker is said to be ongoing, sparking excitement amongst the club’s supporters.
After securing replacements for Neto, Thomas Partey and Jorginho with Kepa, Zubimendi and Norgaard respectively, the Gunners are on the verge of securing a Kieran Tierney successor.
Arsenal are advancing in talks for Mosquera, with a prospective deal said to be plausible at around £17 million.
While not a like-for-like replacement for Tierney, the Spaniard may ultimately assume the role of being the eighth-choice defender in Mikel Arteta’s squad, like the Scotsman did.
Tierney ended last season behind the likes of Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori in the pecking order at left-back, while William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timber, Jakub Kiwior and Ben White were all arguably ahead of him generally.
With Takehiro Tomiyasu still out injured and not looking close to a return, Mosquera could well effectively replace Tierney in the squad, with a view to usurping more senior players in the future.
Aside from the literal position in the pecking order, the 21-year-old centre-back will also replace some of the intangible qualities Tierney brought to the dressing room.
The Scotland international was heralded for his hard work and mentality, and the Valencia man appears to possess some of these soft factors.
Mosquera is supposedly unfazed by competition from Saliba and Gabriel, which highlights the self-belief and drive he has.
In a more literal sense, Mosquera could replace Tierney by taking his squad number.
Tierney wore the number three shirt throughout his six-year stint in North London, grasping the number from Kieran Gibbs.
Since breaking into the Valencia first team and becoming a regular at the Mestalla, Mosquera has worn the number three.
With it now vacant at the Emirates, the Spain under-21 international has the opportunity to grab his dream number at his prospective new club, which will instantly endear him to the Arsenal fans due to the affection they had for the previous number three.
If Mosquera does prove to be a Tierney replacement in spirit, Berta will certainly earn plaudits from the Gunners faithful.
