Let’s take a trip back to January 2024, a challenging period for Arsenal that may have ultimately cost them the league title. The team struggled to score, netting just once across three games during the New Year period, making the search for a new striker a priority.
Ivan Toney was one option, but he eventually signed with a club in Saudi Arabia during the summer. By that time, however, the need for a new center-forward had diminished. RB Leipzig’s rising star Benjamin Šeško was also considered, but he opted to sign a new deal in Germany, positioning himself as a future target.
For now, Arsenal are more than satisfied with Kai Havertz, who has been nothing short of extraordinary as the club’s No. 9.
### Kai Havertz’s Season in Numbers
A year ago, Havertz was given a lifeline in the form of a charity penalty from Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard during a match at Bournemouth. It was late September, and the £65 million signing from Chelsea had yet to make a significant impact, having failed to score before then.
That day at Vitality Stadium, he finally opened his account, and since then, there’s been no looking back. Havertz scored a late winner against Brentford and has since become a fan favorite at the Emirates Stadium.
This season, he has been on fire, scoring six goals in ten games and emulating left-footed Arsenal legend Robin van Persie by scoring in seven consecutive home matches. Currently, Havertz boasts 20 goal involvements in 20 games (12 goals and 8 assists), averaging one every 83 minutes. His transformation from a struggling player a year ago to one of the team’s top performers has been remarkable.
### How Biereth is Performing After Leaving Arsenal
When Mika Biereth joined Arsenal from Fulham as a teenager in July 2021, there were high expectations for the prolific youth striker. However, things didn’t quite work out for him in North London, though he is now thriving at the senior level.
The 21-year-old impressed during his loan spells last season, scoring 15 goals in 37 appearances for Motherwell in Scotland and Sturm Graz in Austria. He helped Sturm Graz win the league title and also found the net in the Europa Conference League, marking his breakout year. Despite his success, it wasn’t enough to secure a place in Arsenal’s first team.
Like Folarin Balogun the year before, Arsenal’s hierarchy opted to cash in while Biereth’s stock was high, agreeing to sell him back to Sturm Graz for £4 million. While that fee may seem modest for a club like Arsenal, it was still good business for an academy graduate.
Since returning to Austria, Biereth has been in sensational form. The London-born striker, who qualifies to play for Denmark, has scored seven goals in nine league matches, one more than Arsenal’s in-form Havertz. Across all competitions, he has netted eight goals in 13 appearances, including a hat-trick in a 5-0 demolition of RB Salzburg.
While Arsenal likely won’t have many regrets over the sale, they have lost a unique talent. Last season, Biereth was dubbed a “Haaland-Kane hybrid” after an interview with *The Independent*, where he acknowledged the similarities in his game to those world-class strikers.
That confidence has driven Biereth to new heights in Austria, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make a move to one of Europe’s top five leagues in the near future. He’s a player in red-hot form and one to watch.
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