Ian Wright has probably been Arsenal’s biggest supporter in their rags-to-riches story under Mikel Arteta. He’s still deeply connected to the club that gave him a platform to soar during his playing career and helped him become the legend he is today.
While Wright is mostly busy with his punditry work, being a regular feature in BBC’s Match of the Day, he always finds the time to watch the Arsenal matches. He not only watches the senior games but also is an avid follower of their women’s side, youth teams and the players that are on loan.
The talk of the town when it comes to Arsenal loanee this season has been the in-form Folarin Balogun. The striker is soaring in Ligue1, competing for the Golden Boot award alongside Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. Considering how the Gunners have benefitted from retaining loaned players after their return, William Saliba in particular, it won’t be surprising if Balogun becomes a part of the senior team next season.
One up-and-coming striker who is unlikely to get much game-time under Arteta next season, however, is 20-year-old Mika Biereth. The Danish youngster was a part of Fulham’s youth system for many years before the Gunners poached him in 2021.
Arsenal’s plan was to be patient with the striker’s development and softly transition himself into the senior level. After spending one season as part of the Gunners’ youth squad, he was loaned to Eredivisie club RKC Waalwijk last summer.
He’s been doing pretty well for himself in the Netherlands, having scored two goals in 11 appearances so far this season. The 20-year-old has only started two league games but impressed as an impact substitute for Waalwijk this season. His impressive work even got him a call-up from the Denmark U-21 side earlier this year.
For some, Biereth probably has the same amount of potential as Balogun and is on an upwards trajectory as well. The 20-year-old recently managed to get some tips from Arsenal legend Wright, who caught up with the on-loan striker in the Netherlands.
It was probably due to Wright visiting the country for some work or personal business, which allowed him to catch up with Biereth. The 20-year-old striker, who was born in England but plays for Denmark due to his father’s lineage, met up with the iconic Arsenal forward in a restaurant or bar.
There are still no details about exactly what they talk about, but considering that Wright captioned the picture with ‘Strikers talk’, it’s probably about the world of a striker. Biereth should find himself blessed to get tips from a legend like Wright, who scored over 180 goals in his career for the Gunners.
Wright has earned a lot of praise from Arsenal fans for taking the time to meet the young loanee and give him encouragement to do even better. He’s like that cool uncle any Arsenal player, senior or junior, would probably love to hang around with and learn from.
Biereth is currently focused on ending the season strongly with Waaljwijk and scoring more goals to catch Arteta’s attention. Knowing how the Spanish gaffe loves to reward hard-working, prolific young players – don’t be surprised if the Danish striker ends up being a part of Arsenal’s first-team squad next season.
