Arsenal came out of the January transfer window without signing a new striker. Youngster Mika Biereth may just be delighted…
The Gunners went into January knowing their striking situation was, in all honesty, an absolute shambles.
Folarin Balogun desperately needed playing time, so was loaned out to Middlesbrough. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was completely out of favour under Mikel Arteta and has now been farmed off to Barcelona.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are both out of contract this summer.
For Lacazette and Nketiah to be Arteta’s only striking options, when they are just months away from leaving, is ridiculous.
Buying a striker in January isn’t easy though, especially given the level of striker Arsenal want.
That signing will likely come in the summer, but this situation may end up leaving Mika Biereth as the big winner.
Biereth may not be all that well-known outside of Arsenal. The teenage striker joined Arsenal last summer, arriving from London neighbours Fulham.
Biereth has been hailed for his ‘unbelievable’ finishing by Arsenal’s youth recruitment chief Yousuf Sajjad, and there is real excitement building over him.
The 18-year-old, currently a Denmark Under-19 international, has smashed even goals and three assists in 15 Premier League 2 games.
Recently on the bench for the 0-0 draw against Burnley, Biereth has clearly caught Mikel Arteta’s eye.
With just two natural strikers ahead of him now, Biereth isn’t far away from the Arsenal side. All it takes is an injury or a COVID issue and Biereth could find himself in the team.
From then on, it’s down to the player. We’ve seen so many instances of a young player seizing an unexpected chance; just look at Marcus Rashford in 2016.
With no strikers brought in by Arsenal, Biereth could end up having a chance to shine before the end of the season. Not bad for a player who hasn’t even been with the Gunners for a year.
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