Following Arsenal’s surprise involvement with deadline day at the end of August, Mikel Arteta and Edu probably won’t have too many regrets from the summer.
In an ideal world, Arsenal would have concluded their business well before the final day of the window, but both Arteta and Edu alluded to it being a ‘difficult’ market.
But after signing Raheem Sterling and Neto on loan on deadline day in addition to the previous arrivals of Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino, Arsenal will be very content.
Moreover, the club were also efficient in offloading players who had become frustrated at the Emirates Stadium.
Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Aaron Ramsdale all departed, three players who were once key to Arteta’s plans.
Mika Biereth says it would be ‘fantastic’ to return to Arsenal one day
That being said, Arsenal also recouped £4m from the sale of Mika Biereth.
21-year-old Biereth joined Arsenal’s academy from Fulham back in 2021 and never stopped scoring for the youth sides.
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And after two successful loans last season, it was time for Biereth to leave Arsenal in search of a club who could properly support his senior career.
Despite his ‘stunning scoring, Biereth was never going to make it into Arteta’s thoughts for the senior team, although that’s still an ambition of the Dane.
Biereth has already scored eight goals in 13 appearances at Sturm Graz this season, and in an interview with TV2 in Denmark, the striker has already alluded to an Arsenal return one day.
Sharing an update on his progress, Biereth said: “Things are going well in Sturm Graz. I have nothing to complain about right now. I play every week at a good level, and now we also play in the Champions League, where I’m still waiting for my first goal.
“If I keep playing well and scoring goals, hopefully a change can come, but right now I’m focused on Sturm and on doing well and scoring goals,
“A return back to Arsenal would be fantastic, but it’s not something I’m focusing on right now.”
Mika Biereth hoping to follow in Thierry Henry’s footsteps
It’s hard to remember too many players that have left Arsenal to then return in the future, especially a youngster who improves before coming back to N5.
Thierry Henry famously returned to score against Leeds United at the Emirates, but he obviously took a very different path to Biereth, two careers that are barely even comparable.
Otherwise, the likes of Sol Campbell and Jens Lehman also returned to Arsenal in firefighting roles towards the end of their careers.
But perhaps Martin Keown is the only example of someone who left Arsenal only to then enjoy a lot more success in his second spell.
After playing for Arsenal 27 times, Keown left to play for both Aston Villa and Everton before then returning to north London to make a further 422 appearances.
That being said, Ray Parlour has spotted a new Martin Keown at Arsenal, someone who might be a secret weapon in the Premier League title race.
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