Just over one year ago, Mika Biereth (187cm/6’2”, 78kg/171lbs) joined Austrian Bundesliga side SK Sturm Graz on loan until the end of the 2023/24 campaign — a season which Sturm Graz would end as league title winners for the first time in 13 years under the guidance of current TSG Hoffenheim boss Christian Ilzer.
Biereth contributed five goals and three assists in 15 games from January to the end of the season to help Sturm Graz get over the line before his move from Premier League giants Arsenal to the Austrian champions was made permanent for €9m last summer.
The London-born Denmark U21 international carried his strong form into the 2024/25 campaign, scoring 11 goals and making five assists for Sturm Graz in the first half of the season.
Despite no longer playing in the Austrian Bundesliga, the striker remains the top goalscorer for the current campaign.
Biereth made a €13m move to Ligue 1 side AS Monaco last month, and it’s been a seamless transition to life in the French top-flight for the 22-year-old attacker, who’s already netted seven goals in just five league games, making him the in-form play in the league at this moment.
This scouting report and player analysis piece will highlight the key strengths in Biereth’s game, which have helped him hit the ground running since his mid-season move to Ligue 1, handing a significant boost in its quest for a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
We will analyse the player’s role within Adi Hütters tactics with Les Monégasques.
Additionally, we’ll share some insight into which areas the former Arsenal academy player still needs to improve.
Mika Biereth Goalscoring Analysis
Firstly, goalscoring is obviously an integral part of any centre-forward’s game.
In Biereth’s case, he’s already proven himself as a prolific goalscorer from his time in Arsenal’s academy, his spell on loan with Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership, his year with Sturm Graz , and thus far in Ligue 1 with Monaco.
The higher the level gets, the more quickly Biereth seems to adapt and thrive in relation to his goalscoring abilities.
Of course, it’s still early days for the 22-year-old in a league with the standard of his current competition.
However, he’s passed every test with flying colours in the opening stages of his Ligue 1 career—it’s impossible to say he doesn’t deserve an A+ up to this point.
How Biereth reacts when the goals inevitably begin to dry up—as maintaining his current goalscoring rate is highly unlikely—will be an interesting test of his character and resilience.
Nevertheless, the Denmark U21 international deserves credit for grasping his opportunity at Monaco with both hands and making the most of it thus far.
Biereth can be categorised as a ‘poacher’.
He’s not heavily involved in the game outside of his goalscoring contributions.
His strengths lie in his ability to gain freedom from defenders in valuable positions, creating a great passing option for teammates and giving himself chances to avail of high-percentage goalscoring opportunities.
Let’s take a look at Figure 1 to illustrate this forward’s intelligent movement and positioning.
We see Monaco progressing with the ball down the left wing in the top-left image.
As
