Unseen Andrea Berta and Joao Pedro moment in Arsenal tunnel sparks Chelsea transfer frenzy
Andrea Berta was spotted with Joao Pedro after Arsenal's win.
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has been spotted with Chelsea star Joao Pedro after their 2-1 win. The Gunners made an early statement in the Premier League title race after ending Xabi Alonso's unbeaten start to liife at the Blues.
The interaction between the North London chief and the Brazilian forward comes after reports that he was on Arsenal's longlist for attacking reinforcements. BBC Sport reported that there was an admiration in the former Brighton & Hove Albion talisman.
Pedro signed a new bumper deal at Stamford Bridge in August, keeping him in West London until 2032 with the option for a further two years.
However, despite the admiration, concerns were raised over how he would fit into the Premier League-winning side.
Eagle-eyed supporters spotted the pair interacting in the Emirates Stadium tunnel on Sunday after Arsenal fought back from a goal down through summer target Morgan Rogers, thanks to efforts from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard.
Arsenal endured a difficult summer transfer window, despite the arrival of Christos Tzolis, Ezri Konsa and Bruno Guimaraes, after missing out on their top targets.
Rogers opted to join Chelsea over the Gunners, while Liverpool won the race to sign Bradley Barcola. Eli Junior Kroupi was also highlighted as a target, but Bournemouth remained steadfast that he was not for sale before a foot injury ruled him out for the beginning of the season.
Vincius Jr faced a tug-of-war over an extension at Real Madrid with Arsenal expressing interest. But the Brazilian opted to remain in the Spanish capital and Julian Alvarez snubbed a Premier League return after his dream Barcelona move was scuppered.
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Despite that, Arteta was pleased with their efforts in the window. He said: "Yeah, 100%. The outcome after can be different to what you expect but the intention is certainly there which is in my opinion what I value the most.
"It doesn't depend on you only. I think Andrea [Berta, sporting director] is better, or Josh [Kroenke, co-chariman], to talk about that [how hard those deals are to do], because I am not in those negotiations. They know much better than me.
"These are questions that are related to the market and all aspects that I think it is better they speak about it."
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