Berta to add Granada chief to his Arsenal transfer team

Granada recruitment chief Javier Alonso is set to leave the club and join Andrea Berta’s team at Arsenal, according to a report.

Matteo Moretto reports that Javier Alonso will leave Spanish Segunda Division club Granada CF to link up with Andrea Berta at Arsenal, further adding to Berta’s transfer team in north London.

Alonso had been working with Granada since January 1st, 2024, having previously been the head of scouting at Atletico Madrid, where he would have worked alongside Berta.

The 42-year-old also spent time in youth coaching with Sporting de Gijon and worked as a scout for Sassuolo before his five years with Atletico.

Berta had already added to his team earlier this year, bringing in Maurizio Micheli from Napoli. But with James Ellis leaving his role as technical director earlier this year, it was somewhat inevitable there would be further changes.

Alonso’s role with Granada was ‘technical secretary’, and given his history working in scouting under Berta with Atletico, it’s not hard to see why he’s been appointed.

Arsenal also need a rework in the academy setup, with Per Mertesacker leaving the club this summer to leave the academy manager position vacant.

That’s all in addition to the changes in the medical team, with Real Betis’ Eneko Angulo reportedly joining Aston Villa’s Arnaldo Abrantes in filling the unexpected gap left by Zafar Iqbal’s departure.

Despite Arsenal’s success on the pitch in 2025/26, there have been a lot of changes behind the scenes so far this summer.

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