Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta may already have the long-term answer to his striker problems. The Gunners are linked with signing a new frontman but loan star Mika Biereth is proving that he could have a big future ahead of him.
Gabriel Jesus continues to struggle with injuries, while Eddie Nketiah has been unable to put in consistent performances in his absence. That has seen Arsenal linked with the likes of Ivan Toney but Biereth could instead be the answer.
Biereth, 20, may be relatively unknown to a lot of Arsenal supporters having not made a first-team appearance as of yet. The Dane joined the Gunners in the summer of 2021, signing his first professional contract after leaving Fulham.
He immediately made an impact for the club’s youth sides, scoring 11 goals and registering four assists in 21 Premier League 2 matches. That earned him a loan move to Dutch top-tier side RKC Waalwijk last season.
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Injuries unfortunately restricted him to just 12 appearances, where he scored two goals. It became clear he needed another loan and Scottish Premiership side Motherwell came calling in August.
He made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut in a 2-1 win over Hibernian. A knee injury then ruled him out for over two months to once again stunt his progress.
But Biereth has been on fire since returning. He scored in his comeback match against Ross County and now has three goals in his last four appearances, with two assists to his name despite just making two league starts.
Biereth has always been a prolific goalscorer, scoring 25 goals in 37 games for Fulham’s under-18 side. But he has also proven to have more to his game, notching 15 assists in his time with the Cottagers.
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He has continued in that vein with Motherwell and become a fan favourite already. Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell said last month that he had been hugely impressed with Biereth, both on and off the pitch during his injury recovery.
Biereth went back home while doing his rehab but remained in regular contact with the Motherwell staff. Kettlewell said: “I have been blown away by his mentality coming into this club, because it can be a dangerous thing sometimes that you see yourself as an Arsenal player and not a Motherwell player.”
That will prick up the ears of Arteta, who makes a big point of players needing to have the right mentality to play for his team. Biereth has already caught Arteta’s eye as he was an unused substitute in four first-team games in the 2021/22 campaign.
There is still room for development in Biereth’s game and injuries have no doubt held him back. But if he can remain fit and have a successful season in Scotland, he will surely be a player Arsenal look at as being a potential star of the future.
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