Arsenal is facing an injury crisis with key players Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus ruled out for the rest of the season. This situation may have fans wondering if the club made a mistake by letting striker Mika Biereth go last summer. Since leaving Arsenal, Biereth has been performing impressively at two different clubs. After joining Austrian team Sturm Graz for €9 million last summer, Biereth quickly made a name for himself.
He scored 11 goals in 16 games in the Austrian Bundesliga and added two goals in six Champions League appearances. His impressive form caught the attention of bigger clubs, and Monaco paid €13 million to sign him in January. Arsenal had a sell-on clause in his contract, so they benefited from this deal.
At Monaco, Biereth has continued to shine, scoring seven goals in his first five Ligue 1 matches, including a hat-trick against Nantes. His performances have put him among the top goal-scorers in Europe’s top five leagues since his debut. For comparison, he is level with Kylian Mbappé and Mateo Retegui in terms of goals scored in that period. This could be a problem for Arsenal, as their current forward options are limited due to injuries. In their 2-0 victory against Leicester, midfielder Mikel Merino stepped in as a striker and scored two goals, but it’s unclear if Arsenal can continue to rely on a midfielder to play as a forward.
Biereth’s time at Arsenal was brief, having joined the club from Fulham in 2021. He impressed in the youth teams but struggled to get a chance with the senior squad. Despite being part of the pre-season tours and making the bench a few times, he didn’t feature in a competitive match for Arsenal. His loan spell at Motherwell did not help him break into the first team. After that, he moved to Austria and showed his potential with Sturm Graz. His market value has risen significantly, from €7 million to €13 million, reflecting his excellent form.
Dorian Schuster, who works as Transfermarkt’s Area Manager in Austria, commented on Biereth’s development. He mentioned that while Biereth showed good potential at Sturm Graz, he wasn’t initially a standout goal-scorer. However, by the second half of the season, Biereth’s performances had improved significantly, and it wasn’t surprising that he was able to continue his excellent form at Monaco. Schuster added that while Biereth may not have been ready for a top-five league when Arsenal sold him, his progress since leaving has proven his quality.
Joachim Durand, Transfermarkt’s Content Manager in France, also spoke about Biereth’s impact at Monaco. He noted that the young forward has been one of the few bright spots for Monaco this season, especially as the team has struggled collectively. Durand compared Biereth’s start in Ligue 1 to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first seven games with PSG, where he also made an immediate impact. Durand described Biereth as a forward who excels in positioning and finishing, although he relies on others to create chances for him. He believes that while it’s difficult to predict Biereth’s future potential, he has plenty of room for improvement.
Biereth recently turned 22 years old and has plenty of time to develop further. His immediate success at Monaco makes it clear that he could be an important player for the team if they start to perform better. This has raised the question of whether he could return to Arsenal one day. In an interview with Danish television, Biereth mentioned that a return to Arsenal would be fantastic, but he is not focused on that possibility at the moment. However, given the current state of Arsenal’s attacking options, it’s easy to imagine that Biereth could be a valuable player for them if he were still part of the squad.
In conclusion, Arsenal’s decision to let Mika Biereth leave the club last summer could come back to haunt them. His rapid development at Sturm Graz and his impressive form at Monaco have shown that he has the potential to be a top player. With Arsenal struggling to find a solution to their injury problems in attack, Biereth’s recent success may be a reminder of what they could have had. While it’s too early to tell what Biereth’s future holds, his performances so far suggest that he could have been a valuable asset to the team during this difficult period.
