When discussing Arsenal’s greatest-ever forward, Thierry Henry stands alone as the undisputed answer. The French maestro joined Arsenal in 1999 and, alongside Arsène Wenger and a host of other talented players, helped define an era of English football. During his time with the Gunners, the Les Ulis-born phenom amassed an incredible tally of 228 goals and 96 assists in 377 appearances. While no striker has truly replaced him since his departure, Arsenal have had several standout centre-forwards over the years.
Arsenal’s Best Strikers Since Henry
The first notable successor to Henry was Robin van Persie. Despite his controversial move to Manchester United in 2012, the Dutchman was a force to be reckoned with during his final two seasons at Arsenal. In 2010/11, he scored 22 goals and provided 7 assists in 33 games, followed by a stunning 37 goals and 11 assists in 48 appearances in 2011/12.
Following Van Persie’s departure, Arsenal signed Olivier Giroud from Montpellier for just £12 million. While not as prolific as his predecessor, Giroud enjoyed a respectable career in North London, scoring 105 goals and providing 37 assists in 253 appearances across five and a half seasons, and winning three FA Cups.
In January 2018, Arsenal sold Giroud to Chelsea to facilitate the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund. The Gabonese striker quickly made his mark, becoming the fastest player in Arsenal’s history to reach 50 Premier League goals in July 2020. He also played a pivotal role in the club’s record 14th FA Cup triumph that same year. However, after signing a lucrative new contract in September 2020, a decline in form and conflicts with the manager led to his departure to Barcelona in early 2022.
Since then, Mikel Arteta has deployed Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz as his primary strikers. While both have shown glimpses of quality, Jesus has been hampered by injuries, and Havertz has yet to silence calls for Arsenal to sign a more prolific forward. Interestingly, Arteta might already have had the answer to these calls in a player once compared to Henry, had Arsenal not sold him in the summer.
The Former Arsenal Gem Compared to Henry
Comparing any young forward to Thierry Henry is a bold statement, but Mika Biereth was once touted as having the potential to follow in the French legend’s footsteps. In July 2021, Sun journalist Jon Boon suggested Biereth "might just be the next Thierry Henry" after the young Dane scored 22 goals and provided 13 assists in just 27 appearances for Fulham’s youth sides in the 2020/21 season. At the time, no Arsenal forward had achieved double figures in both goals and assists since Henry, a feat only Bukayo Saka has since matched.
Biereth joined Arsenal in 2021 and spent a season with the club’s youth teams. In the 2022/23 campaign, he was loaned to Dutch side RKC Waalwijk but struggled, scoring just 2 goals in 12 appearances. However, his fortunes changed the following season. Across two loan spells with Motherwell and Sturm Graz, he scored 15 goals and provided 9 assists in 37 appearances, averaging a goal involvement every 1.54 games. His impressive form convinced Sturm Graz to sign him permanently for £4 million in the summer of 2024.
Biereth’s rise continued at Sturm Graz, where he scored 14 goals and provided 5 assists in 25 appearances in the first half of the 2024/25 season. This attracted the attention of AS Monaco, who signed him for £10.8 million plus £1.75 million in add-ons. Since joining Monaco, Biereth has been in sensational form, scoring 11 goals and providing 3 assists in just 12 appearances, averaging a goal involvement every 61.42 minutes.
Biereth’s 2024/25 Stats
| Team | Appearances | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Goal Involvements per Match | Minutes per Goal Involvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sturm Graz | 25 | 1971′ | 14 | 5 | 0.76 | 103.73′ |
| AS Monaco | 12 | 860′ | 11 | 3 | 1.16 | 61.42′ |
All stats via Transfermarkt
In total, Biereth has scored 25 goals and provided 8 assists in 37 appearances across both clubs this season. His remarkable output is a stark reminder of what Arsenal may have missed out on by letting him go.
While Arsenal may have believed Biereth wasn’t ready to make the step up to their first team, his performances in France suggest he has the potential to thrive in a top-five league. In hindsight, giving him a chance this season could have been a smart move for Arteta and Arsenal.
