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When it comes to Arsenal’s best-ever forward, there is only one answer: Thierry Henry.

The French magician joined the club in 1999 and, alongside Arsène Wenger and some other sensational players, helped to define an era of English football.

In all, the former Les Ulis-born phenom racked up a tally of 228 goals and 96 assists in 37 appearances for the Gunners, and while no striker has been able to replace him in the years since, the club have had at least a few stand-out centre-forwards.

However, Arteta might well have had his own version of Henry had Edu Gaspar and Co not sold a highly-rated youngster for what now looks like pennies on the dollar in the summer.

Arsenal's best strikers since Henry

It would be fair to say that the first seriously successful striker Arsenal had in the years after Henry’s departure was Robin Van Persie.

The Dutchman might be persona non grata at the Emirates today because of his transfer to Manchester United in 2012, but during his final two campaigns with the club, he was simply unstoppable, amassing a tally of 22 goals and seven assists in 33 games in 2010/11, and then 37 goals and 11 assists in 48 games the following year.

Following the departure of the Rotterdam-born poacher, Wenger and Co signed Olivier Giroud from Montpellier for just £12m, and while he was never as prolific as RVP, he did enjoy a reasonably successful career in North London.

For example, in 253 appearances, across five and a half seasons, the World Cup winner scored 105 goals, provided 37 assists and won three FA Cups.

However, in January 2018, the Chambéry-born marksman was sold to Chelsea to facilitate the signing of Borussia Dortmund star Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, who for some time was arguably the Gunners’ best forward since Henry.

The Gabonese international hit the ground running, becoming the fastest player in the club’s history to reach 50 Premier League goals in July 2020 and then playing a pivotal role in the club’s record 14th FA Cup triumph a month later.

However, after signing a blockbuster new deal that September, the wheels started to come off, and following lacklustre form and fallings out with the manager, he was allowed to join Barcelona for free in early 2022.

Since then, Arteta has used Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz up top, and while both players have had their moments, the former has suffered far too many injuries and the latter still hasn’t done enough to quell calls for the club to sign a new striker.

Unfortunately, Arteta might have already had his answer to those calls in a player compared to Henry had Edu and Co not sold him in the summer.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

The former Arsenal gem compared to Henry

Now, comparing a young forward to a player as sensationally gifted as Henry could be seen as unfair, but that was exactly what Sun journalist Jon Boon did with Mika Biereth in July 2021.

It was in the aftermath of Arsenal poaching the young talent from Fulham’s academy that Boon suggested he ‘might just be the next Thierry Henry.’

While that might sound a little ridiculous, he did so because, in just 27 appearances for the Cottagers’ youth sides the season prior, the young Dane had scored 22 goals and provided 13 assists, and at that point, no Arsenal forward had hit double figures for goals and assists since the great Frenchman, until Bukayo Saka did a couple of years later.

The youngster would spend the following season with the Gunners’ youth sides, and then, in the 22/23 campaign, he was sent out on loan for the first time to Dutch side RKC Waalwijk, but with just two goals in 12 appearances, it was not a successful stint.

Fortunately, last season went far better for the young forward, as, across two spells, first with Motherwell and then with Sturm Graz, he racked up a brilliant tally of 15 goals and nine assists in 37 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.54 games, and was enough to convince the Austrian side to spend £4m to make his move permanent.

The “crazy” talent, as dubbed by former GOAL reporter Robin Bairner, picked up where he left off at the start of the campaign and, by January, had already scored 14 goals and provided five assists in just 25 appearances, which tempted AS Monaco to spend £10.8m plus £1.75m in add-ons on the young Dane.

Since moving to the French Riviera, the former Arsenal prospect has gone from strength to strength and now looks like one of the most in-form strikers in European football, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists in 12 appearances, totalling 860 minutes, which works out to 1.16 goal involvements every game, or one every 61.42 minutes.

That means the player Edu let go for a pittance in the summer has managed to score 25 goals and provide eight assists in just 37 appearances across two teams, which is a level of output that Arteta could have used this year.

Ultimately, while the club might have felt like Biereth wasn’t going to be good enough to play for Arsenal in the long term, it surely would have been a smart idea to have at least given him a chance this year, as his form at Monaco suggests he has what it takes to thrive in a top five league.

Saliba 2.0: Arsenal prepare bid for "one of the world's most talented CBs"

The incredible prospect could be a star at Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 20, 2025

We at are proceeding as planned like the 2022 MLB season will begin more or less on time. I’ve attached the top 200 starters and 100 relievers by SIscore and included my stat projections for each player. This should help fantasy manager get a feel for each player's value for the 2022 draft season.

2022 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

Pitchers by SIscore

Updated: April 5, 2022
DOWNLOAD: EXCEL | VIEW AS WEB PAGE

MORE: Hitters by Position (Updated 4/5)

Top 200 starting pitchers

“It would be crazy not to look at the players who are in form,” Mitchell McClenaghan said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out Live

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-20243:03

Should Mayank be fast-tracked into India’s T20 WC squad?

Mayank Yadav has played only two IPL games but the conversation has already started if he should be part of India’s squad for the T20 World Cup in June.On his IPL debut on Saturday, Mayank picked up 3 for 27 against Punjab Kings and was named the Player of the Match. During his spell, he clocked 155.8kph, the fastest delivery of IPL 2024.Three days later, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, he bettered it. He clocked 156.7kph and picked up 3 for 14 to claim his second consecutive Player-of-the-Match award.Related

• LSG target first win over Titans as Mayank takes the spotlight again

• Maxwell on Mayank: You don't often see someone of his pace

• Mustafizur a doubt for CSK's game against Sunrisers on Friday

• When Mayank hushed the Chinnaswamy

• 'This is just the start' – Mayank Yadav's thunderbolts now rattle RCB

Talking on ESPNcricinfo’s show T20 Time Out Live, Tom Moody said: “He is definitely in the conversation. Whether you take that risk punting on him or not is another conversation because you also need to consider what skillset you need in that reserve fast bowler – is it someone who is a powerplay bowler, or someone who has the ability to bowl at the death, all those subtle skillsets are important when you are talking about a T20 World Cup.”Mitchell McClenaghan, Moody’s co-panellist, said if Mayank continues in the same manner, he would be “right in the mix” to join the T20 World Cup squad.”If his form continues throughout this tournament, the World Cup starts six days after the IPL, I think it would be crazy not to look at the players who are in form going into that tournament,” McClenaghan said.”He may not have the caps behind him, but if he continues this vein of form and can keep his pace up throughout the whole tournament and keep winning games – he has won two games in a row, his first two games – then you are right in the mix. Long shot but you wouldn’t say never.”3:15

Moody: Mayank has great control and a mature head to go with his pace

Fast bowler Varun Aaron also had the same view. “I think no matter what the chatter is, he should focus on one game at a time,” he said. “Because that is going to automatically help him make his case. With the kind of work he has put in in the last two games, that does bring a lot of eyeballs but it has to be repeated over a period of time. The T20 World Cup, I am sure, he is going to be a contender if he backs it up with a few more performances because he is bowling absolute gas.”Apart from the searing pace, what has stood out is Mayank’s accuracy. On Tuesday, he bowled 17 dots in his spell, and not a single wide or no-ball.”What’s so impressive is it’s not only just the pace – it’s like everyone likes seeing a Nicholas Pooran hit the ball out of the ground, it is exhilarating to watch – but it’s his control,” Moody said. “Not only he has got the control, but he looks like he has got quite a mature head on his shoulders with regards to how he is bowling, and what lines he is bowling and lengths he is bowling. He is a real find.”Aaron was equally impressed with Mayank’s control.”Going into the game, we said that lines are going to be important,” he said. “Not just lines, even lengths he adapted. He bowled a few yorkers, it’s not just bowling back of length and being one-dimensional. The ball to Cameron Green was beautiful. He had hit him for a really convincing pull the previous ball.”I think he was a second late on that [wicket] ball. It just ricocheted off the stumps, I think it went one-bounce four. It is great signs. He has got really good control. And he has got a really, really repeatable clean action that enables him to bowl those lines time and again. Not a single cut, not a single ball down the leg side. Unbelievable.”

Borussia Dortmund's Diant Ramaj has declared he will not return to the German club just to be second choice goalkeeper next season.

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• Ramaj makes bold statement after impressive spell with Copenhagen
• German goalkeeper not interested in a backup role at Dortmund
• Calls himself the 'best goalkeeper of the young generation'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Riding high in confidence after a stupendous spell with Copenhagen, Ramaj made some bold claims in an interview with . The German goalkeeper is demanding a regular role at the club next season, claiming he's the best young goalkeeper available.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After completing a move to Bundesliga in the 2024-25 winter transfer window from Ajax, Ramaj was loaned out immediately to Danish club Copenhagen. The German's loan spell worked wonders for both the player and club as they went on to complete the double, winning the league title and Danish Cup. Now, with his loan spell ending, he has voiced his opinion on his future making it clear that he wants regular football.

• WHAT DIANT RAMAJ SAID

  The shot stopper said: "I really enjoyed the season in Copenhagen; what we've achieved is fantastic. And one thing's clear to me: I have to keep playing, get minutes, and match practice. Therefore, one thing's clear to me: I'm not sitting on the bench in Dortmund! It's clear to me that I won't be coming to Dortmund to line up at the back, that I have no chance of playing behind Gregor Kobel. I have to play."

  He added: "I said I'm the best goalkeeper of the young generation. And I think I've proven that in the past few months!"

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR DORTMUND?

  First choice goalkeeper Kobel has reportedly been a transfer target for Chelsea, but after Dortmund's Champions League qualification under Niko Kovac, the German saw a resurgence and is expected to stay. That could see Ramaj push for a summer transfer.

A majority of India’s players sport one these days. Can you identify them from their beards?

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2017

David Moyes has come into the Everton hot-seat and been just the breath of fresh air needed to pull the Toffees away from relegation danger, with a draw to Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out signalling his side’s eighth straight game in the Premier League without defeat.

Whilst many faces in the Everton camp looked dejected and lost towards the end of Sean Dyche’s troubled tenure, a large portion of the Blues first team personnel now look rejuvenated under the Scotsman’s newer methods, with Beto one star very much benefitting from the inspired managerial switch-up having now scored six top-flight strikes.

But, a renewed belief is coursing throughout the team at this moment in time, with a defensive star really sticking out as another figure who has taken to the return of Moyes.

Jake O'Brien's improvements under Moyes at Everton

Whilst the Toffees weren’t exactly leaking goals for fun under the dogged managerial style of Dyche, some of the defenders at Goodison Park have shown signs of improvement already under the ex-West Ham United boss.

That is definitely the case for Jake O’Brien, with the young Irishman a regular on the bench under the previous regime, only to now be a solid first-team option.

The former Olympique Lyonnais defender even grabbed his first-ever Toffees goal on the road at Brentford to finish a sterling February on the best possible note, with that month also seeing him star against Manchester United with five duels being won, on top of a clean sheet being collected at home to Leicester City.

Therefore, it looks now as if Everton have a fantastic long-term candidate to be their right-back, with both Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman towards the end of their careers, compared to the ever-improving O’Brien who has a valuation of £13m according to Transfermarkt.

Amazingly, the breakout star at the back is now worth more than a former Toffees star who was sold for a big fee to a Premier League rival back in 2022.

The Everton "machine" now worth less than O'Brien

Everton have sold on a number of players over recent years for high fees, with Amadou Onana’s name sticking out from last summer’s bumper transfer window, having won the Merseysiders £50m when he moved onto pasture new with Aston Villa.

This isn’t the only time Villa and the Toffees have had a healthy working relationship, however, with former owner Farhad Moshiri losing French full-back Lucas Digne to the Villans in January of 2022, costing the West Midlands side £25m in the process.

The Frenchman was a beloved figure when he was strutting his stuff at Goodison, with Digne going on to notch up six goals and 20 assists across 127 appearances, before inevitably breaking hearts when a move to Villa came calling.

Whilst the 31-year-old has taken to his new challenge at Villa Park well, Everton definitely hit gold selling the ex-Barcelona “machine” – as he was once lauded by football journalist Ty Bracey – when they did.

Why? Well, his steep £25m valuation has taken a hit the more his Villans career goes on.

Whilst Digne has continued to be an exciting option down the left flank with four goals and 14 assists tallied up, his valuation has slipped all the way down to a lesser £10m as per Transfermarkt, representing a £15m decrease.

He has also looked shaky at points this season for Unai Emery’s men in Premier League action, with only two clean sheets coming his way from 28 encounters a worrying statistic to chew over.

Whilst Digne is still remembered as a stellar defender throughout his time on Merseyside, Everton did cash in at the best possible time with hindsight firmly on their side, as Moyes goes about picking up more and more positive results at Goodison with his revitalised troops.

Rooney 2.0: Everton could soon unleash "incredible" 17-year-old Beto rival

Everton fans will be excited about the potential of this youngster.

By
Kelan Sarson

Mar 9, 2025

Caleb Jewell made 227 and Beau Webster made 100 while Aaron Hardie bowled just four overs due to a tight calf and Cameron Green concede seven per over

AAP and ESPNCricinfo18-Feb-2024Tasmanian opener Caleb Jewell’s maiden double century, sealed with a slice of luck, has effectively batted Western Australia out of their Sheffield Shield clash at Bellerive Oval.Beau Webster also posted his 10th first-class century and his second of the season as the Tigers lead Western Australia by 449 runs with two wickets remaining ahead of the final day.Jewell, dropped without scoring on Saturday, began the day on 98 and enjoyed two more slices of luck on the way to a career-best 227. Wicketkeeper Josh Philippe dropped a chance when the left-hander was on 165. He was then caught with his weight on the wrong foot as an edge flew between him and first slip to bring up Jewell’s 200.Jewell and Webster kept coming at a tiring WA attack who couldn’t find much life in the Blundstone Arena wicket. They put on 183 before Bradley Hope’s unbeaten 56 rubbed salt into the WA’s wounds.Joel Paris was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets while Cameron Green went for more than seven an over as Jewell scored the sixth-highest first-class score by a Tasmanian.’It probably hasn’t really sunk in yet, what’s happened,” Jewell said.”I just woke up at the start of the day pretty nervous about getting those first two runs, but [I’m] very happy.”Hopefully I can make the most of it and get another [big score] soon.”He was cagey when asked what the plan would be on Monday. A victory would go some way to securing the table-topping Tigers’ position with two rounds until the final.”I’m sure we’ll have a bowl at some stage tomorrow. We’re still trying to win this game,” he said.”With fresh bowlers and a new ball, we can do some damage.”WA coach Adam Voges said Aaron Hardie (calf) was sent from the field and unable to bowl as a precaution but would bat on Monday if required.

Over the last six years, Rangana Herath and R Ashwin have racked up astounding – and astoundingly similar – numbers while reviving the art of fingerspin. On Wednesday, they will cross paths again at a venue that holds a special place in both their hearts

Sidharth Monga in Galle24-Jul-20172:06

Rangana Herath: Sri Lanka’s trump card

On July 2, 2009, Rangana Herath was about to go to his gym in Stoke-on-Trent in northern England. He was 31, a veteran of 94 first-class matches, but only 14 of them were Tests. He wasn’t really expecting to add to that tally any time soon.Not yet an international cricketer, having made his IPL debut two months previously, R Ashwin was perhaps going through the previews to gear up to watch India play an ODI in the West Indies on July 3 and then the Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Galle from July 4.Herath’s phone rang. They wanted him in Galle. Muttiah Muralitharan had been injured, they needed a support bowler for the man supposed to take over from him, Ajantha Mendis. It was a matter of minutes. A little later, and that call could have gone unanswered for an hour at least. Perhaps Herath wasn’t the most punctual to go to the gym, which you can imagine he didn’t quite look forward to. The crucial fact is, the phone was in his pocket and not in his bag as it would have been a few minutes later. He was able to answer that call, drive five hours to London and make the flight, which he might not have been able to do an hour later. He flew economy, and made it to Galle on the morning of the Test. Had Sri Lanka lost the toss, Herath might have had to shake off his jet lag on the field.Six years later, their paths crossed in Galle. Ashwin was going through a strange patch in his career. He had excellent numbers but had also missed seven out of India’s last 13 Tests, played in South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia. He was not happy about being left out. Inside he raged. He wondered why he had to sit out if the fast bowlers couldn’t finish a Test in South Africa. Or why the batsmen’s failures in England resulted in his being dropped in Australia.Herath had already gone through all of that twice over. Even after coming back and becoming Sri Lanka’s rescuer at the age of 31, he would find himself left out of sides inexplicably. The finals of the 2011 World Cup and the 2012 World T20, despite good performances. If Ashwin was despondent or nervous coming into Galle in 2015, he could do well to learn from the quiet perseverance of Herath.In this match, Ashwin took 10 wickets, including six on the first day, but he and India were outdone by Herath and Sri Lanka. Watching Herath, Ashwin learned an important lesson: to not give up the stumps, to sometimes strive to turn the ball less. The difference perhaps was the hours and hours of bowling experience Herath had gained by bowling in first-class cricket before he finally got his chance. Ashwin didn’t have to wait so long for success; when he was denied it, he would become restless and try to turn the ball harder. Ashwin was now learning to wait for his time.R Ashwin took ten wickets in his last Galle Test, in 2015, but ended up on the losing side thanks to Rangana Herath’s wiles•AFPSince then, between them, aided by changing techniques because of DRS and in part by changing pitches, Ashwin and Herath have made fingerspin great again. It can be argued that Ravindra Jadeja is more than just support cast – he is in fact No. 1 on ICC charts right now – but the two outstanding bowlers over the last six years have been Ashwin and Herath. Since Ashwin’s debut, they have played 49 Tests each and have near-identical numbers in those Tests: 275 wickets for Ashwin and 274 for Herath, 25 five-fors each, seven and eight 10-wicket match hauls. Herath is slightly more miserly, but Ashwin has taken fewer deliveries for each strike. Herath has set up Test wins in South Africa and England, Ashwin has been Man of the Series in Sri Lanka and the West Indies.Before the two, the pre-eminent spinners in the world were either wristspinners or fingerspinners with a bit of mystery about them. Fingerspinners without mystery were there just to tie one end up until the pitch started doing things for them. The most mystery these two have ever carried in their kitbags is the carrom ball, whose oldest known practitioner, without going as far back as Jack Iverson, is Herath and whose best proponent today, arguably, is Ashwin. Yet, in Test matches, in these days of close video analysis, there is hardly any mystery to the carrom ball.A lot of their mystery now is in trying to control the amount of turn they impart on the ball. It is not an exact science, but they are adept at giving the ball the best chance to turn less should they need that variation. They change their seam angles and points of release subtly. As a few batsmen have acknowledged, you can exhaust yourself countering one mode of their attack, and then suddenly, just like that, they unleash another.They use different arms. One is pudgy, the other is tall. One is likely to share a laugh about his pudginess, the other remains on the edge. One is trying to maximise whatever little Test cricket is left in his 39-year-old body, the other is at his prime, physically and mentally. Yet they are more similar in their styles and their stories than you would think. Back now in Galle, a landmark venue for both of them, they resume the contest to find out who the best bowler of this decade is. Herath will be at a disadvantage because his support is not as robust as Ashwin’s, because his body is less likely to stand the strain of three Tests in three weeks, and because his side nearly lost to Zimbabwe last week, but then again he was at a similar disadvantage the day he answered Kumar Sangakkara’s call in Stoke-on-Trent.

The reason for Amad Diallo giving fans the middle finger during Manchester United’s post-season trip to Malaysia has been revealed.

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• Red Devils playing friendlies in the Far East
• Suffered shock defeat in the first of those
• Players subjected to abuse by those in crowd

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils, on the back of a forgettable Premier League campaign that delivered a 15th-place finish, endured more misery when suffering a shock 1-0 defeat to the ASEAN All-Star team after arriving in the Far East.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Frustrated players and coaches were not in the mood to deal with supporters – some of whom had jeered them from the stands – when making their way back to the team bus. Amad cut a seriously frustrated figure.

• WHAT A SOURCE SAID

  He was caught on camera aiming a middle-fingered salute towards a person in the crowd, with the claiming that the Ivorian winger was responding to “serious personal abuse”.

• Instagram
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  The Mail say that while “the exact nature of the exchange has not come to light”, Red Devils star Amad “was left very upset”. He did not have a smile on his face when fans captured a photo of United players in an elevator, with Alejandro Garnacho delivering the same gesture as Amad – although his actions were slightly more jovial.

Mikel Arteta has acknowledged it. Nuno Santo acknowledged it in midweek. The whole world knows what the issue is at Arsenal Football Club right now.

2024 saw a progressive year for the Gunners. The back end of last season was met with one defeat as they not only scored goals galore but were resolute defensively, ensuring the team’s title challenge went down to the Premier League’s final day.

They scored six at West Ham, five against Burnley, four versus Newcastle and six against Sheffield United during a run of four devastating matches at the back end of February and the beginning of March.

How much difference a year makes? Now, the club can’t buy a goal for love nor money. Mikel Merino’s double is the only two goals Arsenal have scored over their last three games, subsequently losing 1-0 to West Ham and then playing out a 0-0 stalemate with top-four hopefuls Nottingham Forest.

So, where’s it all gone wrong?

How Arteta has tried to revive Arsenal's attack in 2025

Coming into the winter transfer window Arsenal knew they were a body light. Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injury suffered against Crystal Palace back in November ensured they were without their golden boy.

Still, Jason Ayto – their interim sporting director – and the club’s ownership didn’t appear to be in a great hurry. That was, until, Gabriel Jesus was ruled out for the season having sustained an ACL injury in the FA Cup.

With the Brazilian down and out, Arsenal now arguably needed two attackers. Rumours came and went. A move for Alexander Isak was never going to materialise and it was thought as though getting long-term target Benjamin Sesko out of RB Leipzig in January was going to be a tough ask. They may still pursue the Slovenian in the summer but that will be too little too late as far as 2024/25 is concerned.

The window ended with no one arriving. Fans groaned, fans moaned, fans gesticulated aggressively at the Emirates Stadium. Then came the biggest blow of all. Kai Havertz. The man who Arteta claimed that “his robustness and his availability is unbelievable.”

It would appear as though that was a cursed comment. Just a week later, during Arsenal’s warm weather camp in Dubai, the German suffered a hamstring injury. He’s now out for the season too.

All of a sudden, with Gabriel Martinelli also on the sidelines, the Gunners were now down to bare bones. So, what’s been the solution? Arguably, there hasn’t been one.

Against Leicester, it was a front three of Ethan Nwaneri, Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling. Nwaneri was a menace, providing chance after chance and rattling the post in the second half. Trossard was ineffective up top and Sterling was withdrawn for Mikel Merino. Imagine that.

Merino, however, was the saviour. He scored twice courtesy of delicious assists from Nwaneri and Trossard. Since then, Arsenal have been toothless.

The idea of fielding the Spaniard up top, a player with a similar wirey build to Havertz certainly makes sense but he’s not a centre-forward, far from it.

Against Nottingham Forest, we even saw left-back Riccardo Calafiori drifting into central pockets in offensive zones, notably rattling the woodwork with a fine first-half effort. His erratic defending, however, saw him withdrawn at the break.

So, this will probably be the story for the rest of the season. How they must rue selling some of their finest Hale End talent? Hindsight is a wonderful thing, of course, but there’s one who now happens to be outscoring the aforementioned Isak…

Arsenal must regret selling Hale End superstar

Hale End has proven to be a consistent production line for Arsenal in recent years. It was Saka and Emile Smith Rowe who saved Arteta when he first arrived in N5 and now he’s getting the same level of performance from two further Hale Enders; Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Sadly, the Gunners have already cashed in on a player making greater strides than both of them this term.

That happens to be Mika Biereth. You’ve all heard of him now, but you probably didn’t while he was learning his trade in the academy set-up.

Signed from Fulham, the centre-forward walked straight into the U21 side where he scored 12 times in 26 outings. Those numbers are hardly awe-inspiring.

There were a number of loan spells during that time, featuring for Dutch side RKC Waalwijk and enjoying a fruitful time at Motherwell and Sturm Graz last term, scoring 15 times and supplying nine assists across his spells with both clubs in 2023/24.

Truth be told, Arsenal have been pretty rubbish at loaning out players and growing their value but they were able to do so on this occasion, eventually selling the Denmark youth international last summer to Sturm Graz for just £4m.

After a first half of the year where he lit up Austrian football once again, bagging 11 league goals in 16 games and two Champions League goals, he was on the move again.

Over the winter, Monaco came calling, paying £10.8m for his signature which looks like an absolute bargain considering his form now.

In the words of former GOAL reporter Robin Bairner, the 22-year-old’s “form continues to be absolutely crazy” having scored ten times in seven games including three remarkable hat-tricks.

That makes him the joint-most prolific player in Europe’s top five leagues throughout 2025. He’s been so good that he’s outscoring the aforementioned Isak and Liverpool’s man of the moment, Mo Salah.

It’s safe to say that Biereth’s tale is a fascinating one. At Arsenal, he wasn’t generating much hype but there was clearly a talented goalscorer there.

To cash in for just £4m, in hindsight, was a mistake, but very few at Colney will have expected the young Dane to flourish quite as he has done now.

Arsenal can finally end Merino experiment by unleashing "deadly" Hale Ender

The prolific youngster deserves his first start amid Mikel Merino’s inclusion as a striker for Arsenal.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 2, 2025