Mikel Arteta allowed young forward Mika Biereth to depart Arsenal last summer, as the player seemingly didn't match his ideal profile for a striker.
The Gunners' quest for their first Premier League title in over two decades has been hampered this season by a striking conundrum.
Injuries to Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka have contributed to a series of lacklustre displays that have left them trailing league leaders Liverpool by 13 points, although Arne Slot's side have played one more game.
Biereth, 22, was sold by Arsenal to Sturm Graz last summer in a deal worth £4million. Since leaving the Premier League, he's netted 25 goals in total for the Austrian club and subsequently for Monaco, where he moved in January.
Despite being linked with numerous forwards during the winter transfer window, Arsenal failed to secure any new signings after a £60m offer for Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins was turned down. Midfielder Mikel Merino has since been utilised as a makeshift striker as Arsenal have struggled both in the league and in front of goal.
Meanwhile, Biereth's impressive scoring record in Ligue 1 may have forced the Arsenal board to admit that the clinical striker they've been searching for might have been within their ranks all along.
Biereth had several bench appearances for the Gunners but reportedly didn't fully align with the type of player Arteta prefers to spearhead the attack, according to The Athletic.
Recognised as a dynamic and robust runner, the young striker's rapid development in other aspects of his game was something Arsenal presumably didn't anticipate happening so swiftly.
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 29: Mika Biereth of Arsenal during the PL2 match between Arsenal U23 and Leeds United U23 at Emirates Stadium on April 29, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Mika Biereth joined Arsenal in 2021 but didn't make a senior appearance (Image: Getty)
While there was little clamour among the Arsenal fanbase for Biereth to be promoted to the first team, this was due in part to him going under the radar since joining the club in 2021 after coming through the ranks at Fulham.
His loan spells with Dutch club RKC Waalwijk and Scotland's Motherwell resulted in a combined tally of eight goals, but it was with Sturm Graz that he truly flourished, netting nine times in 22 matches before the Austrian club made the move permanent.
His tenure at Graz was fruitful, producing 14 goals in 25 appearances, which led to a £12m transfer to Monaco. Biereth has been sensational in Ligue 1, scoring three hat-tricks in his initial 10 outings.
Former Arsenal striker Mika Biereth playing for Monaco
Mika Biereth is scoring for fun at Monaco (Image: VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)
With an impressive record of 11 goals and three assists in just 11 games for the French outfit, the 22-year-old sees his departure from Arsenal not as a setback but as a stepping stone. He shared his positive outlook with The Athletic in November.
"Making it at Arsenal isn't the be-all and end-all of someone's career," Biereth said. "There are many ways of having a successful career outside of Arsenal."
Arsenal might well entertain the notion of re-signing Biereth at some stage if their goalscoring troubles persist. The Danish youth international, born in London, did confess his desire to make a comeback to the Emirates Stadium one day, as per the Mirror.
"If I keep playing well and scoring goals, hopefully a change can come," he said while in Austria. "A return back to Arsenal would be fantastic, but it's not something I'm focusing on right now."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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