Mikel Arteta let Mika Biereth leave Arsenal as the young striker supposedly did not fit the criteria of what he likes to see in a goalscorer.
Arsenal’s bid for a first Premier League crown in over 20 years has been hit by a striking crisis this season. Injuries to Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka have played their part as a series of unconvincing performances have seen them slip 13 points behind leaders Liverpool, albeit the Reds have played a game more.
Arsenal let 22-year-old Biereth leave north London last summer for Sturm Graz in a £4million deal. Since he left the Premier League, Biereth has scored 25 goals collectively for the Austrian side and then French outfit Monaco, whom he earned a move to in the January transfer window.
Arsenal were linked with several strikers in the winter window yet didn’t bring in any after seeing a £60m bid for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins rejected. Midfielder Mikel Merino has since been deployed in an unfamiliar position up front as Arsenal have laboured in the league and in front of goal.
Meanwhile, it’s in Ligue 1 where Biereth’s stunning goals record has perhaps forced the Arsenal hierarchy to concede that the ruthless striker they have been seeking was maybe in their ranks all along.
Biereth made it onto the bench several times at the Gunners but was reportedly not viewed as being completely compatible with the profile Arteta prefers in players who lead the line.
The youngster was always looked upon as a direct and powerful runner, as per The Athletic, but there has been talk about how quickly he has honed other parts of his game – something Arsenal clearly didn’t foresee occurring as fast as it has.
While there was little clamour among the Arsenal fanbase for Biereth to be promoted to the first team, this was due in part to him going under the radar since joining the club in 2021 after coming through the ranks at Fulham.
Loans to Dutch side RKC Waalwijk and Scottish Premiership outfit Motherwell saw the striker bag eight goals across both moves. Sturm Graz saw the forward’s potential and took him on loan where he managed nine goals in 22 games. The Austrian side then signed Biereth permanently.
After 14 goals in 25 games for Sturm Graz, Biereth was snapped up by Monaco for £12m. He has caught fire since landing in Ligue 1, scoring three hat-tricks in his first 10 games.
The 22-year-old now has 11 goals and three assists in 11 games for the Ligue 1 side. However, the young forward has viewed his exit from Arsenal in a positive light.
“Making it at Arsenal isn’t the be-all and end-all of someone’s career,” Biereth told The Athletic in November. “There are many ways of having a successful career outside of Arsenal.”
The Gunners could one day feasibly return for Biereth should they continue to suffer in front of goal. And the London-born Danish youth international did admit last year that he would love to return to the Emirates Stadium at some stage.
“If I keep playing well and scoring goals, hopefully a change can come,” he said while still at Sturm Graz. “A return back to Arsenal would be fantastic, but it’s not something I’m focusing on right now.”