Despite the heartbreaking defeat to Manchester City at Wembley, Arsenal are still on course to win the Premier League and could still progress to the FA Cup and Champions League.
Although quadruples are still a fantasy, and some argue that they always have been, history may still be around the corner. And if that happens, the Gunners will have Andrea Berta to thank for building a team ready to end Arsenal’s trophy drought.
He took over the torch from Edu Gaspard and even more so after joining from Atlético Madrid last summer. Within a year, he added finishing touches that his predecessors often pondered.
Arsenal considering signing from the Premier League again
They may be different sporting directors, but Edu and Berta have presented much the same ideas in North London. Importantly, they both benefit from shopping local.
Arteta will finally be able to release Zvimendi by starting Arsenal’s new Declan Rice.
Martin Zvimendi’s performance at Arsenal will decline in 2026.
In the former case, it was Declan Rice and Ben White who became established stars of the Premier League. For Berta, it was Eberechi Eze last summer.
For all the data that could point to the next best thing around Europe or South America, Arsenal have proven that sometimes the answer is right in front of them. And no one exemplifies that better than Rice at the heart of Mikel Arteta’s midfield.
The England international joined for up to £105m in 2023 and has continued to bring every bit of value ever since. Now an early Ballon d’Or candidate and one of the best midfielders in the world, it is no exaggeration to say that Rice has more than contributed to Arsenal’s transformation.
But he is not the only Premier League star to have achieved success through such a move. Eze has proven to be a big-time player, and so has White, who is still going through tough times at the Emirates.
Now, Tino Livramento could be the next candidate. According to Arsenal club official Hand, Livramento is interested in joining and Arsenal have begun negotiations to sign the right-back from Newcastle United.
Indeed, sources report that the Thun full-back would ‘jump at the chance’ of a move if Arsenal increase their interest, while revealing that the Gunners had ‘approached’ him about his availability during early negotiations.
Why Libramento could be a new addition to Arsenal
The Newcastle man will be cheap. Manchester City were even surpassed by the Magpies, who demanded a whopping £70m to sell the defender last summer.
However, Arsenal have had no problem spending that kind of money in recent years, and Libramento could have the same effect as Rice by taking the Gunners up a notch or two.
With White’s future uncertain and Julien Timber showing signs of fatigue at this stage of the season, a player of Livrament’s caliber could quickly cement his place as Arsenal’s starting right-back next season, and could prove Rice-like success once again when signed from within the Premier League.
Premier League stats per 90 games 25/26 | rescue | wood |
|---|---|---|
minutes | 1,164 | 2,457 |
assist | 0.08 | 0.18 |
tackle | 1.55 | 2.42 |
collect | 5.64 | 3.55 |
Gaining possession in the final third | 0.31 | 0.26 |
The Gunners’ biggest problem this season has been their ability to create in open play. It’s the same old story as Bukayo Saka struggles to get involved and the onus to move forward often falls on the likes of Timber.
That’s why signing Livramento should be a top priority. The Newcastle man is better on his front foot than Timber, even if his assist numbers don’t show it.
He will win the ball back more often in the final third and make more recoveries, which will help Arsenal move on much faster than they have this season.
This extra outlet would have been vital against Man City at Wembley. Once the Citizens cut off the passing lanes to Martin Zvimendi and Rice, Arsenal were left without a line breaker. And if you are forced to go long, you won’t be able to keep the ball sticky.
Livramento’s ability to regain possession would certainly have made things easier. Rather than being blocked, the right-back could have set the tone by having a successful showing of his ability in numbers.
Meanwhile, off the pitch, Arsenal now have a player with similar leadership qualities to Rice, with Theo Walcott even going so far as to call Livramento “a future England captain”.
Proof of that, he certainly ticks a lot of boxes and investing in another player with a proven track record in the Premier League like Rice is certainly a good idea.
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