Monaco’s ‘impressive’ Mika Biereth shows Arsenal what they are missing | OneFootball

Arsenal’s difficulties in the attacking department have been well-documented. Even before Gabriel Jesus’ injury, the Gunners were lacking a No.9, as evidenced by their pursuit of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. However, the solution may have been under their nose the whole time.

Mika Biereth (22), who came through the ranks at Arsenal, left his formative club on a permanent basis in the summer following loan spells at Motherwell and Sturm Graz. He joined the latter for €9m in July. After 11 goals in 16 games in the Austrian Bundesliga, he quickly earned himself a move to the Principality club for €13m; he has hit the ground running.

He has seven goals in Ligue 1 in just five games, including back-to-back hat-tricks at the Stade Louis II. There is a common thread with his goals which are reliant on him showing a striker’s instinct and finding the right spaces in the box. “A lot of the goals that you’ll look at aren’t the prettiest, not goals that you will see in YouTube video highlights. But for me, it doesn’t really matter how the ball goes in the back of the net,” said Biereth during his unveiling.

And recently, the ball has been finding the back of the net often, including during the 7-1 hammering of FC Nantes on Saturday. He netted his second hat-trick for Monaco during that encounter at the Stade Louis II. Despite playing just five league games, he is already Les Monégasques’ top-scorer in Ligue 1. He is also only the second player to net seven goals in his five seven Ligue 1 matches in the 21st century; Zlatan Ibrahimovic with Paris Saint-Germain is the other.

Biereth-Balogun – an all-Arsenal pairing at Monaco?

“I am impressed for sure. His impact with seven goals is impressive,” reacted Les Monégasques’ manager, Adi Hütter, who has quickly handed the London-born forward a starring role.

“Whenever you score three, it is a good night but I won’t be getting carried away,” said Biereth after the win over Nantes. He operated as a lone striker on that occasion but he has also played alongside another striker in the form of Breel Embolo. However, Hütter has already said that he would also be compatible alongside George Ilenikhena, or another former Arsenal forward, Folarin Balogun, currently sidelined with a shoulder injury.

A self-described “old-school” forward, a typical fox-in-the-box, and a “dying breed” he has been the goalscorer that Monaco sought following the departure of Wissam Ben Yedder in the summer. “His arrival means that we were lacking something,” admitted Embolo back in January.

And arguably, he is what Arsenal are lacking too. Mikel Arteta’s side find themselves in a situation where midfielder Mikel Merino is playing up front, and whilst the Spaniard netted a brace against Leicester City over the weekend, there is an inescapable feeling that Biereth could have been a good solution to Arsenal’s ongoing issues up front. Their loss is Monaco’s gain.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Monaco