Arsenal have appointed Andrea Berta as their new sporting director - a transfer guru with a penchant for striking gold.
The Italian fills the void left by Edu back in November, arriving at the Emirates with a pedigree only ever seen at the pinnacle of football.
He is today one of the top executives in the game and has built a reputation for making miracles, doing so during his decade-plus stay at Atletico Madrid.
But it was through his humble beginnings that he quickly proved his worth, when he diched a cushty banking job to work in the lower leagues of Italian football.
First roll of the dice
Berta aptly started his career as a transfer mastermind with a gamble.
Following a call from local Brescia businessman Tommaso Ghirardi, Berta abandoned his steady salary in finance to start working for Carpenedolo in the role of sporting director - a semi-professional side based in a quaint Lombardy town, that boasts a population of just 12,000.
At Carpenedolo, Berta stood out from the crowd. He was said to keep vigorous notes on all players in northern Italy, detailing their character and family as well as statistics and playstyles. His view of the game went far beyond the pitch and by going that extra mile, he helped guide the unassuming side all the way to the fourth tier of Italian football.
From there, he was on the map and quickly warranted a higher-profile job. Spells at Serie A staples Parma and Genoa followed, first earning the adulation of Italian audiences.
But it was beyond Italy’s borders during his most recent stint - a 12-year run in Madrid - where he earned the nickname of “Milagroso Berta”, translated to “Miraculous Berta”.
Success in Spain
Berta first arrived at the Vincente Calderon in 2013, taking up a role in international scouting before switching to technical management. Within his first season, Atletico had ended their 18-year wait to lift a La Liga title.
During those first years, Berta worked alongside club CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin to conduct the club’s transfer dealings - some of which were nothing short of masterstrokes.
Antoine Griezmann’s arrival from Real Sociedad was notably under his watch, plucking a world-beater from their La Liga counterparts before selling him on for a staggering fee of £108million to Barcelona. Atletico then resigned the Frenchman four years later for just a sixth of the price.
