Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta (Photo: Justin Setterfield, Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Arsenal manager Andrea Berta was reportedly the driving force behind the signing of Victor Gokeres last summer.
The new sporting director quickly became an influential figure after joining Arsenal from Atletico Madrid, and is said to have held talks with Mikel Arteta about bringing in Goqueres to replace Benjamin Sesco.
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This comes as The Athletic reports that Berta did not consider Sesco worth the money, but was willing to compromise if Arteta insisted on him over Gokeres.
In the end, Arsenal seem to have managed to reach an internal agreement, with Berta winning this particular power struggle and acquiring their favorite striker.
Was signing Victor Gokeres a mistake on Arsenal manager Andrea Berta’s part?
Gokeres didn’t have the most convincing debut season at the Emirates Stadium, while Sesco ended up joining rivals Manchester United.
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Overall, it’s not so easy to tell which player received the more lucrative contract as neither player has given their full effort in English football so far, but Sesco is younger and probably looks like a more well-rounded player overall.
See the diagram below that compares various aspects of the game for two players. A rather complicated situation emerges…
Still, goals are arguably the most important thing for a striker, and although he has played more games, benefited from better teammates and an overall more stable squad, Gokeres’ scoring record this season has been slightly better…
| Striker comparison (all comps) | game | the goal |
| Victor Gokeres (Arsenal) | 48 | 18 |
| Benjamin Sesco (Manchester United) | 31 | 11 |
Gokeres achieved great results for Sporting Lisbon, but he will probably never be able to repeat those impressive numbers in the Premier League.
Sesco, on the other hand, has not yet made the step up from the Bundesliga to England’s top flight, but has already performed well in a league that is generally more competitive.
However, Arsenal fans may be annoyed by Berta’s decision here. Gökeres often underperformed at this level, and although he finished well, he didn’t have much to offer the team.
