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“We understood that if we didn’t take the decision in the winter, in the summer, it would potentially be too late,” says Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro. There was a sense of “now or never” about the signing of Mika Biereth from Sturm Graz in January and, with the Danish international scoring 11 goals in his first nine Ligue 1 games, it is certainly an opportunity the club are happy they seized.
That “now or never” feeling characterises Biereth’s whole career. “He had the bravery to go to Scotland, then Austria and now France and that is what shows he wants to be the best. He has to be playing to prove that,” says his mentor, Ian Wright. Biereth has grasped every chance he has been given along a path that has led him away from Arsenal and into Monaco’s grateful arms.
Having played in England, the Netherlands, Scotland, Austria and now France, the 22-year-old clearly craves new experiences and does not mind a nomadic existence. Born in London to a Bosnian mother and a German-Danish father, Biereth started out at Chelsea before spending five years at Fulham and then moving to Arsenal. “He keeps friends from every club. That’s the type of character he is,” says Wright of Biereth, who remains close to Jamal Musiala, the Bayern winger who he met at Chelsea.
It was while at Arsenal, in 2022, that Biereth contacted Wright. “I have to give Mika the credit for proactively reaching out to me years ago,” says the Arsenal legend. “He was looking for advice on where he was at with his game, with the club and what he should do next. After he contacted me, we met at my local pub and we have stayed in touch since.”
However, unlike Wright, Biereth did not go on to impose himself at Arsenal. A “difficult” loan at RKC Waalwijk in the Netherlands was followed by a brief stint with Motherwell and then a move to Sturm Graz at the start of 2024. During his initial loan spell at the Austrian side, prior to making the move away from Arsenal permanent last summer, Biereth came on to Monaco’s radar; the club’s interest grew when they came face-to-face with the player. “Especially after the friendly game against Sturm Graz that we had last summer, Adi [Hütter] and I put eyes more closely on him for the rest of the season,” says Scuro.
Monaco saw a striker going from strength to strength; he scored 13 goals in 24 games in all competitions for Sturm Graz, including two in the Champions League. However, it was an injury to another former Arsenal man, Folarin Balogun, that forced Monaco into action.
Monaco were scouring the loan market for a forward but, when the possibility to sign Biereth arose, it was an opportunity that could not be passed up. The €13m transfer fee now looks cheap, with Hütter searching for new superlatives in each post-match press conference. “Of course, he has surpassed expectations,” says Scuro. “Nobody could predict that a young player would arrive and score so many goals, as he has.”
And Biereth has scored plenty of goals for Monaco this season, including three consecutive hat-tricks in home games. He has scored a goal every 67 minutes in the league and he has the best shots-to-goal ratio in the division, with over a third of his efforts finding the back of the net.
“I’m an old-school striker – part of a dying breed,” he said when he signed for Monaco. “I understand how important the buildup is, being available for the team but, at the end of the day, I’m a striker and I love scoring goals. A lot of the goals I score aren’t the prettiest – not goals you’ll see in YouTube video highlights – but, for me, it doesn’t really matter how the ball goes in the back of the net.”
His finishing ability and understanding of space inside the box seem innate. “His record, particularly at youth level, showed he was a goalscorer,” says Wright. “He always had that instinct. 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.”
Biereth made his Monaco debut against Montpellier in January. “He was often in a really good position but we didn’t play him in,” recalls Hütter. “We then had a fantastic meeting with the attacking players and showed them videos of him at his previous club – look at his running, his runs in behind and then Maghnes [Akliouche] was like: ‘Wow, yes.’” Biereth scored in the next game, against Rennes, before hitting the first of his three hat-tricks, against Auxerre, the following week.
“Being at the end of moves gives him confidence but it gives us confidence too,” says his teammate Thilo Kehrer, who notes that Monaco have four strikers – Biereth, Balogun, Breel Embolo and George Ilenikhena – with “different profiles”. “His arrival means that we were missing something,” says Embolo, who has linked up brilliantly with Biereth.
Arsenal are also “missing something” and that “something” is a striker. Kai Havertz is their top scorer this season with nine Premier League goals. Mikel Merino, a midfielder by trade, has been filling in up top in recent weeks. “Mika should’ve been in and around it at the moment,” says Wright. “It’s disappointing for Arsenal but, on a human level, I’m delighted for him.” Arsenal’s loss is Monaco’s gain, and now Denmark’s too.
Biereth is eligible to represent England, Germany, Bosnia and Denmark. Having represented Denmark at youth level, he made his debut for the senior team during the international break. “As soon as you’re doing well in club football, international football takes care of itself,” he says.
It has been quite the start to 2025 for Biereth, who is in the familiar position of familiarising himself with an unfamiliar environment. “The feeling is that he will be here for a few years,” says Scuro, who hopes the nomadic Dane will stick around a little longer than he did at his previous clubs.
For now, his new apartment remains unfurnished. “Plenty of room for match balls,” joked Biereth after his third hat-trick for Monaco, against Reims, at the end of February. Monaco will be hoping his house becomes a home – and one filled with many more match balls.
This is an article by Get French Football News
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