Striker Arsenal sold for just £4m has more goals than Alexander Isak and will be Eric Dier’s new teammate
Arsenal’s absence of having a clinical striker upfront has been a major talking point this season. They will be kicking themselves for selling Mika Biereth for just £4million last summer – someone who has more league goals than Alexander Isak, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland this season. Biereth scored twice in the Champions League this seasonAFP The 22-year-old never made the grade at the Emirates after the club signed him from Fulham in 2021 as a teenager. He made no first team appearances before joining Austrian Bundesliga side SK Sturm Graz permanently following his loan. He helped them win a 2023/24 league and cup double, with nine goals and four assists in 22 appearances. Biereth continued his form into this season scoring 12 times for the Austrian side before his £12.6 million move to Monaco in January. The Ligue 1 club was searching for a striker to fill the void of fellow former Arsenal player Folarin Balogun who suffered a shoulder injury in December. Biereth started life in France with fine form. He scored 10 goals in as many games and by the end of February had three hattricks. The 22-year-old attracted the attention of Arsenal fans who continue to crave for a striker. A want that has only increased as Mikel Merino is deployed as a makeshift striker due to season ending injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. In hindsight Arsenal fans would have kept the Monaco striker but in reality he was behind academy graduates Eddie Nketiah and Balogun who have both appeared in the Premier League. Biereth sits eighth in the race for the European Golden Boot and his 23 league goals are more than Isak (22), Mbappe (22), and Haaland (21). Biereth is yet to select the nation he wants to representGetty Dier is set to join MonacoGetty “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.” He had not scored in his most recent three league matches until Saturday when he scored a 90th minute equaliser against Le Havre. Fourth placed Monaco, one point away from Lille, are relying on him to push them into the top three to attain a Champions League spot. He will soon be joined by former Tottenham defender Eric Dier at Monaco as his contract is set to expire at Bayern Munich. Dier is close to agreeing a three-year deal with an option of 12 months. The centre-back will leave Germany, most likely a Bundesliga champion alongside his friend Harry Kane. Their first ever trophy. European Golden Boot rankings PlayerGoalsPoints1Viktor Gyokeres38572Mohamed Salah28563Robert Lewandowski25504Harry Kane24485Mateo Retegui24486Kylian Mbappe22447Alexander Isak22448Mika Biereth2442.59Ousmane Dembele214210Erling Haaland2142
Arsenal’s absence of having a clinical striker upfront has been a major talking point this season.
They will be kicking themselves for selling Mika Biereth for just £4million last summer – someone who has more league goals than Alexander Isak, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland this season.
The 22-year-old never made the grade at the Emirates after the club signed him from Fulham in 2021 as a teenager.
He made no first team appearances before joining Austrian Bundesliga side SK Sturm Graz permanently following his loan.
He helped them win a 2023/24 league and cup double, with nine goals and four assists in 22 appearances.
Biereth continued his form into this season scoring 12 times for the Austrian side before his £12.6 million move to Monaco in January.
The Ligue 1 club was searching for a striker to fill the void of fellow former Arsenal player Folarin Balogun who suffered a shoulder injury in December.
Biereth started life in France with fine form. He scored 10 goals in as many games and by the end of February had three hattricks.
The 22-year-old attracted the attention of Arsenal fans who continue to crave for a striker.
A want that has only increased as Mikel Merino is deployed as a makeshift striker due to season ending injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
In hindsight Arsenal fans would have kept the Monaco striker but in reality he was behind academy graduates Eddie Nketiah and Balogun who have both appeared in the Premier League.
Biereth sits eighth in the race for the European Golden Boot and his 23 league goals are more than Isak (22), Mbappe (22), and Haaland (21).
“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.”
He had not scored in his most recent three league matches until Saturday when he scored a 90th minute equaliser against Le Havre.
Fourth placed Monaco, one point away from Lille, are relying on him to push them into the top three to attain a Champions League spot.
He will soon be joined by former Tottenham defender Eric Dier at Monaco as his contract is set to expire at Bayern Munich.
Dier is close to agreeing a three-year deal with an option of 12 months.
The centre-back will leave Germany, most likely a Bundesliga champion alongside his friend Harry Kane. Their first ever trophy.
European Golden Boot rankings
| Player | Goals | Points | |
| 1 | Viktor Gyokeres | 38 | 57 |
| 2 | Mohamed Salah | 28 | 56 |
| 3 | Robert Lewandowski | 25 | 50 |
| 4 | Harry Kane | 24 | 48 |
| 5 | Mateo Retegui | 24 | 48 |
| 6 | Kylian Mbappe | 22 | 44 |
| 7 | Alexander Isak | 22 | 44 |
| 8 | Mika Biereth | 24 | 42.5 |
| 9 | Ousmane Dembele | 21 | 42 |
| 10 | Erling Haaland | 21 | 42 |
