‘Top player’ says Mikel Arteta never gave him a ‘real opportunity’, now he’s outscoring Alexander Isak

Add as preferred source on Google

Hale End has produced some generational talent over the years, however, not every player has gone on to become a hero at Arsenal.

The 2024/25 campaign has been a triumph for Arsenal’s academy, as Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri broke into Mikel Arteta’s first team. 

Lewis-Skelly has been backed to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award due to his rise in North London, but his highs came off the back of a punishing summer for Hale End. 

Arsenal let a handful of academy graduates leave in the summer of 2024, as Emile Smith Rowe joined Fulham, Eddie Nketiah signed for Crystal Palace, and Mika Biereth also departed on a permanent transfer. 

• READ MORE: ‘Unbelievable’ star says he would’ve solved Arsenal’s striker problem, but Edu sold him for just £4m

Mika Biereth said he had no opportunity to break into the Arsenal first team

Once dubbed a ‘top player’ by Bayern Munich superstar Jamal Musiala on social media, Biereth has moved on to better things since flying the nest.

The Danish striker never made a senior appearance for Arsenal, but that didn’t signify that he wasn’t up to the task, as time has shown.

Biereth wanted to leave Arsenal to go and kick on elsewhere, which has proven to be the right decision, as the 22-year-old continues to go from strength to strength. 

Amid his triumphant 2024/25 campaign, the former Gunner took the time to speak to BBC Sport, where he spoke about his decision to leave the Emirates last summer. 

The Monaco talisman regretfully admitted that he believed there was little to no opportunity to fight his way into Arteta’s first-team plans.

“I think every time I got loaned out and came back into the building, there was a feeling there that there was no real opportunity,” Biereth said.

The Dane then made it clear that he wasn’t going to settle in Arsenal’s academy and one day hope that he’d get the slim chance to impress.

“I’m not one of those who is just going to hang around and kick a ball around with the under-21s and hope for a little chance in training.”

Just six months after leaving Arsenal to join Sturm Graz permanently, the striker was picked up by Monaco, where he’ll now be playing in the Champions League next term.

Biereth’s remarkable scoring run since Monaco transfer

Others who left Arsenal in the summer haven’t had a time as luxurious as Biereth, who will certainly have no regrets about leaving North London to spread his wings.

Few players have scored more goals in Europe’s top five leagues than Biereth since he joined Monaco on January 11th, including one of Arteta’s dream targets, Alexander Isak. 

Since Biereth signed for Monaco, the former Hale End star has scored 13 times in Ligue 1, more than Isak has scored in the Premier League in that time (10). 

Only time will tell if the striker can continue to raise the bar, as Arsenal will continue to watch from afar, wondering what could’ve been had the starlet been given a chance to impress.