7 goals in 5 Ligue-1 games
© Imago
No offensive winter newcomer to the top 5 leagues struck like Mika Biereth. The center forward had switched from Sturm Graz to AS Monaco on January 11th. Since then, seven goals have been booked in five Ligue-1 games-including two three-packs. The 22-year-old had previously demonstrated his scorer qualities in Austria, but he had not managed to break through at Arsenal.
The Dane was sold to Graz in summer for 4.7 million euros from the U21 of the Gunners. Previously, he had spent half a year on loan. For the Austrians, Biereth scored 23 goals and nine templates in 47 games in just under a year, which increased its market value from 650,000 to 13 million euros and let some interested parties step into the scene. In the TM rumor mill, 1st FC Köln and TSG Hoffenheim were associated with the attacker. However, Monaco received the contract, which paid a fixed 13 million euros, but bonuses can still be added. Arsenal also benefited from this, which was involved with a third due to a resale clause, so that the transfer to EUR 9 million almost doubled.
At the Monegassen, Biereth tied seamlessly to his achievements from Graz, which he had left with eleven hits, with which he is still the leaders of the goal scorer list. Since his debut in Ligue 1 on January 17th, no player has scored more in the five most important European leagues. With Reals Madrid’s top striker Kylian Mbappé and Atalantas Mateo Retegui, he has well-known society.
Biereth one of the few bright spots at AS Monaco
Joachim Durand, Transfermarkt Manager in France, is impressed by Biereth’s start of the Principality, which was not foreseeable: “Biereth is one of the few positive aspects at Monaco at the beginning of this year. At a time when the team weakens collectively, the Dane made a major contribution. Only Zlatan Ibrahimović did just as well in his first seven Ligue 1 games with PSG in the 2012/13 season. ”
Durand cannot predict whether things can go on for the attacker or whether even more is possible. “Its performance limit is difficult to assess because it has just arrived in France and has only played a few games. But he only turned 22 on February 8 and still has a lot of space for improvements. The fact that he already meets regularly in a battered team is promising. If the team gets better, its statistics could become even more impressive. ” Because Durand describes Biereth as a striker type that needs his teammates to be staged. Monaco took fourth place in Ligue 1 after the 22nd matchday, in which the Champions League was eliminated against Benfica during the week.
Will FC Arsenal Mika Biereth’s departure regret?
The development of Biereth at Arsenal is particularly likely to be observed. Because the Gunners currently have many long -term injuries on the offensive and could probably use it well in its current form. In the summer, however, the Nordlondoners had decided to finally have the U21 international pulled after they signed him from FC Fulham’s U18 in 2021 at the age of 18.
In 26 games for the U21 Arsenals, the native of London scored twelve goals, but his chances of playing the game in the professionals were extremely low. Although he was always part of preparation tours and was on the bench four times during the season, it was never used. Even after an average loan to Motherwell FC, his viewing options did not increase. The lack of options to demonstrate his talent finally led him to move on.
The Austrian Bundesliga was obviously the right next step back for the time being before going to one of the best leagues in Europe. “He had become too good for Austria, so I am not surprised at what he shows in France. But it is also a fact that in July, when Arsenal sold him, he was not yet good enough for a top 5 league, ”said Area Manager Austria Dorian Schuster.