Andrea Berta first three Arsenal transfers already decided as summer rebuild start immediately

By the time Andrea Berta is announced as Arsenal's new sporting director there will be around three months until the summer transfer window opens. It leaves him very little runway to get up to speed.

There is a much-discussed need for change in Mikel Arteta's squad. Bukayo Saka needs more support on the right-wing, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli might not be enough at the top-level on the left, and there is a gaping hole up front.

Even with Kai Havertz fit, Gabriel Jesus was no adequate backup. The Brazilian's future may well have been away from the Emirates Stadium had his injury not complicated matters. A new striker is absolutely paramount for Berta either way.

The defence is due a reshuffle, or at least some trimming down. Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko have had peripheral roles at best. A permanent second-choice goalkeeper will be required, potentially a senior professional to stand in as emergency cover as well, in order to allow Tommy Setford and Jack Porter the room to progress in the academy setup.

Midfield demands are more subtle. Ethan Nwaneri's promotion coupled with Myles Lewis-Skelly being able to operate centrally has given depth but Martin Zubimendi is still a prime target. Martin Odegaard needs someone to help ease the load, which is likely to be Nwaneri, whilst Declan Rice still does a lot of the leg work. Mikel Merino will hope to get more game time in his primary position.

Berta's own priorities are relatively clear. The frontline needs reshaping and bodies need clearing. Adding layers to the squad is also key. Arteta has not trusted his fringes with meaningful action for most of the past three years and the playing group is tiny.

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Doing all of this in one window is hard. One thing Berta won't have to worry about is the exits of Thomas Partey, Jorginho, and Kieran Tierney.

All three see their contracts expire on July 1 and will leave for free. In total it will be a £70million net loss combined but the book value has been maxed out and there is very little to worry about.

Arsenal will not be punished for this in the accounts as they all finished their deals. What price they would get for a 31 and 33-year-old midfielder as well as a left-back a long way removed from their last patch of consistent minutes or good form is debatable as well.

Every little helps but there is not much being missed in terms of transfer fees. This is not Liverpool watching Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Trent Alexander-Arnold approach their own point of no return. That is probably at least £200million worth of players in the current market landscape right there. Arsenal are only losing one regular Premier League body with Partey, and even he is not in the best XI.

Berta, therefore, does not have to fret about this. He is not accepting a poisoned chalice. Instead, he is tasked with taking on a cohesive and talented young group up to the very top. It is a privileged position and one not dictated by high-profile exits.

Partey, Tierney, and Jorginho have all been eligible to agree a pre-contract with teams outside of England since January 1. It is reported that Jorginho has already found a new club and will go to Brazil.

Tierney has been a long-term target for former club Celtic, with a deal seemingly all-but done. Partey, as a player on big wages and ageing, is a much tougher sell. He has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in the past.

Berta will have to factor the trio into his plans but has effectively already got his first three deals completed. With a lot of decisions to made in a short space of time, it is the sort of immediate clarity which will be extremely useful.

Before long he will also have to turn attention to the incomings and then the bigger picture. Trossard and Zinchenko are both due to enter their final 12 months later this summer, as is Takehiro Tomiyasu.

It is not unfeasible that all three are sold. Tomiyasu's injuries pose an obstacle to that, but Trossard has had interest from the Middle East previously. Borussia Dortmund has been touted as a possible destination for Zinchenko.

Arsenal will not want to watch any of those three leave for free in 2026, giving Berta a clear timeline for extension negotiations - even if it is a simple additional year to grant more room for manoeuvre or financial gain. That is all further down the line. For now, his focus will be on the summer and having as many deals wrapped up sooner rather than later is of great benefit.

To that extent, although Arsenal can perhaps be criticised for not being more proactive in their strategy to try and sell Jorginho, Partey, and Tierney, it is far from the end of the world. Berta's other challenges will instead be much more important.

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