‘I’m not that disappointed’: £4m player admits he’s very happy he left Arsenal this summer

There was certainly a lot of excitement building around young striker Mika Biereth at Arsenal last season, who couldn’t stop scoring goals whilst out on loan.

In total, Biereth scored 15 goals and provided nine assists in 37 games for both Motherwell and Sturm Graz, making the switch to the Austrian Bundesliga mid-way through the season.

Arsenal evidently saw Biereth’s progress in Scottish football and decided there was an opportunity to elevate the 21-year-old, effectively putting him in a more lucrative shop window.

And in truth, it worked.

Arsenal sold Biereth for £4m this summer, Sturm Graz wanted the young Danish striker permanently after his impressive loan spell last season.

And since joining the club in July, Biereth has already scored four goals in seven games, beginning to justify the club’s big spending. 

Mika Biereth admits he was in an Arsenal bubble before loan moves

Speaking via Danish outlet Tipsbladet during the international break, Biereth has now spoken about his Arsenal exit, providing an interesting insight into the experience of a Hale End youngster who didn’t quite make it at the club.

And all in all, Biereth was very happy with his decision to leave, especially given that he’ll be playing Champions League football.

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Biereth said: “When you’re at the club, you’re in your Arsenal bubble and then you come out of it and you learn how hard it is in the real football world as a professional footballer.

“When you’re 18-19 years old, you only wanted to be at Arsenal and you had to be in the first team, and if you weren’t, you would be a failure.

“As you get older, you realise how difficult it is to get into the first team at Arsenal. You think about what you could do next and my next step was to go to Sturm Graz.

“It’s very exciting to be playing Champions League football, so I’m not that disappointed to be leaving Arsenal.

“Of course, it’s a sad feeling when you leave one of the biggest clubs in the world. However, it’s best for my career.”

Biereth added: “Everyone hopes for more, and it would have been great to make a debut and some opportunities in the first team.

“It just didn’t work out, and I didn’t want to be there anymore and feel sorry for myself. It was the perfect time in my career to take the next step.”

Viktor Gyokeres might be the perfect striker for Arsenal

Although we’re talking about a very different level of striker, perhaps the small fee Arsenal recouped from Biereth’s sale could be put towards their next goalscorer.

Arsenal are seriously interested in Alexander Isak next summer, who they believe would be willing to leave Newcastle United if Eddie Howe’s side don’t qualify for Europe.

However, given Viktor Gyokeres’ unbelievable scoring for Sweden, perhaps Arsenal may end up focusing those funds in his direction.

Two excellent choices for Edu and Mikel Arteta, who may even have a surprise candidate up their sleeve.

But it was the correct decision for all parties that Biereth left this summer, a popular figure in north London but one who was ready for a new challenge.