Ian Wright is one of Arsenal’s greatest strikers of all time.
The legendary Englishman scored more goals for the Gunners than anyone else apart from Thierry Henry, and he is an idol to many to this day.
Wright is a favourite among several Arsenal players as well, especially the young ones. He takes many of them under his wing and helps them grow.
The Arsenal icon has now had his say on one such player with whom he shared a great relationship, but the North Londoners sold him last summer.
Ian Wright delivers honest verdict on former Arsenal striker Mika Biereth
Mika Biereth joined the Arsenal Academy from Fulham in the summer of 2021.
The youngster had made a good name for himself at youth level, and he showed a lot of promise once he became a Gunner as well.
Biereth’s biggest success came in loan spells. He was brilliant at Motherwell and went up another level when he joined Sturm Graz.
Last summer, the Austrian club signed Biereth on a permanent deal for £4 million, and just six months later, they sold him to Monaco.
The youngster has been flying in France, and Wright is delighted for him. The Arsenal legend went as far as saying that Biereth reminds him of himself.
He told GFFN: “He’s got a different build to me, but what really reminded me of myself is his obsession with scoring goals.
“He doesn’t care how they go in, he just wants to score. That will always drive and motivate him.”
The real reason why Arsenal sold Mika Biereth
Arsenal are now in a situation where they have no fit strikers. Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz have both suffered season-ending injuries.
That has forced Mikel Arteta to deploy Mikel Merino up top, and although the Spaniard has done a great job there, playing him out of position is not ideal at all.
Many fans have wondered if Arsenal should’ve kept hold of Biereth and given him an opportunity, but that was not at all possible because of the player’s stance.
Biereth made it clear to Arsenal that he will not extend his contract last summer, and that forced the Gunners to sell him to Sturm Graz.
It was a shame to see him go, but we’re happy that Biereth is breaking records at Monaco and performing brilliantly there.
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