"He wants to be the best!" - Ian Wright questions Arsenal's 'disappointing' transfer decision
Arsenal legend Ian Wright has questioned the Gunners' decision to part ways with Mika Biereth. The Danish striker has made a name for himself since leaving the north London giants last summer.
Biereth is currently one of the most in-form players in Europe, having scored 11 goals in 12 games for AS Monaco since his January switch. He left Arsenal last summer for Austrian side Sturm Graz and joined AS Monaco just six months later.
Ian Wright has claimed that Biereth never got his deserved chance at Arsenal and insisted that he should have been a first-team player. He said he is thoroughly delighted with the progress of the Denmark international as a player. Wright told Get Football News France, as quoted by GOAL:
"If I’m honest it must’ve been something with the plans Arsenal had. Mika should’ve been in and around it at the moment. One of our chats early on was about him showing himself in the pre-season for Arsenal and giving it his best go."
He continued:
"But 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. His record speaks for itself. It’s disappointing for Arsenal but on a human level, I’m delighted for him."
Ian Wright added:
"I have to always give Mika the credit for proactively reaching out to me years ago. He was looking for advice on where he was at with his game, with the club and what he should do next. I will always give him credit for that because it’s very easy to not make yourself vulnerable to someone else. After he contacted me, we met at my local pub and we have stayed in touch since."
"I knew about him from his years at Fulham already, but this was more about where he was at that time. He has a great team around him so it was more talking to him as someone who has experience and bouncing off each other. He knows I’m going to push him and hold him accountable to play at his best level," he concluded.
Mika Biereth joined Arsenal in 2021 from Fulham but never made a senior appearance for Mikel Arteta's side. He was loaned out to clubs like RKC Waalwijk, Motherwell, and Sturm Graz before moving to Sturm Graz permanently.
Stewart Downing details potential selection headache for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Former Liverpool winger-turned-TV pundit Stewart Downing has claimed that Mikel Arteta could have to deal with a selection headache after Bukayo Saka's return from injury. Arsenal missed arguably their best player in their last 19 games, with Saka picking up a hamstring injury in November 2024.
Saka is now nearing a return, which would mean Ethan Nwaneri would have to make way for the 23-year-old. Downing opined that the 18-year-old had done an admirable job in the absence of Saka and was capable of challenging for a starting spot. The former Premier League winger told Ladbrokes (via Metro):
"Arsenal have had so much success in recent years with their youngsters, and the good thing about Mikel [Arteta] is that he’s not afraid to put them into the limelight. You know, Bukayo Saka is a product of the youth team, and right now you’ve got Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri… Nwaneri is actually at a point now where you’re thinking he could actually push Saka for a starting place."
The former Middlesbrough winger added:
"I’m sure he can play in a number of positions, but Saka must be watching him and thinking ‘I’m going to have to be on my toes here’. For a few years now, that position out on the right has very much been his, but Nwaneri has come in and made it his own, really."
Downing concluded:
"You know, and you look at the goals he’s scoring, he’s so similar to Saka. He’s a proper Premier League player already, and he’s just turned 18. The problem Mikel is going to have will be ‘where do I fit him in?’ And look, it’s not a bad problem to have!"
Saka scored nine goals and provided 14 assists in 24 games prior to his injury this season. Meanwhile, Nwaneri has eight goals and one assist in 29 games this season.
