Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta was pictured in Istanbul on Monday night as he attended Galatasaray versus Fenerbahce
Arsenal chiefs Andrea Berta and Maurizio Micheli attended Monday’s Istanbul derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, which the Turkish Super Lig leaders won 3-0.
football.london understands the Italian pair were guests of FIFA-licensed agent George Gardi, who unofficially works as a transfer meditator for Galatasaray.
At this stage, the motive behind the trip to RAMS Park remains unknown but naturally, the Turkish media have speculatively reported that Arsenal are now targeting a number of Gala players ahead of the summer transfer window.
The obvious link to make is that Berta and Micheli are plotting a swoop for Viktor Osimhen, who scored the opener in his side’s statement victory.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
Micheli, who arrived at Arsenal from Napoli where he was previously Head of Scouting, knows the player well as he was actually present when Osimhen signed his contract with the Italian giants in 2020 following his transfer from Lille.
Gardi also handled Marek Hamsik’s professional affairs during his time at Napoli, was involved in Galatasaray’s signing of Dries Mertens (free transfer) and helped the Serie A outfit land Eljif Elmas from Fenerbahce in 2019 following Micheli’s extensive scouting of the midfielder.
In recent years, Gardi has operated as a middle-man for Galatasaray and has been heavily involved in several big transfers such as the acquisitions of Osimhen, Leroy Sane from Bayern Munich plus deals for ex-Gunner Lucas Torreira and Mauro Icardi.
But despite Berta and Micheli’s presence on Monday, that does not mean Arsenal are set to go all-out for Osimhen this summer and as stated, the objective of their trip to Turkey remains unknown.
Back in November, Gardi declared that Osimhen felt settled in Istanbul and made it clear he expected the striker to remain with the club for a long time.
Additionally, the financials Osimhen earns at Galatasaray would be difficult for any club to match when you also factor in a potential transfer fee.
He nets in the region of £13m per season, without bonuses. It’s a salary that would immediately place him among Arsenal’s top-earners.
Furthermore, Osimhen banks a yearly £870,000 (€1m) loyalty bonus and his complex image rights are worth up to £4.3m (€5m).
Arsenal are thought to be open to strengthening their attack in the summer window but there is no evidence to suggest a shock move for Osimhen is currently in the pipeline.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
