Arsenal reportedly want to cash in on their 21-year-old striker Mika Biereth this summer. The Danish ace, who previously revealed he had been given advice by Gunners hero Ian Wright, shone as he spent the second half of last season on loan at Sturm Graz.
Biereth moved to the Emirates Stadium three years ago after progressing through the Fulham academy.
He is yet to appear for the Arsenal first-team, although he did feature during loan spells with RKC Waalwijk and Motherwell ahead of his temporary move to Austria last term.
According to Austrian publication Kronen Zeitung, Sturm Graz sporting director Andreas Schicker is negotiating intensively with Arsenal over a move for Biereth.
The player linked up for pre-season training with the Gunners under-21s squad on Monday but has reportedly told Sturm that he can imagine a “black future”.
And Schicker has ruled out a second loan move for the attacker as he explained: “Mika is in the last year of his contract, the club wants to sell him. Now we have to find a solution with Arsenal.”
Biereth made 22 appearances for Sturm Graz last season and bagged nine goals and four assists as the team won the Austrian Bundesliga ahead of RB Salzburg. He previously racked up six goals and five assists in the Scottish Premiership during the first half of the campaign after becoming a regular starter for Motherwell.
And after winning a call-up to the Denmark under-21s side last season, the ace addressed his close relationship with Wright, who notched 179 strikes for Arsenal during 279 appearances for the club.
“I call him Uncle Wright,” he told Bold. “He is an Arsenal legend and someone I can lean on for advice. Before I moved to Austria, I called him to get his opinion. So he’s definitely someone I can use when things aren’t going well or when I need advice.
“He lives in London as well. So every time I’m there, I try and meet him face to face. He takes care of the youngsters at Arsenal, and I think that since I’m a striker and he was a striker, he thought he could help me a bit.”
Biereth could find his opportunities limited at Arsenal, with Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Eddie Nketiah all ahead of him in the pecking order.
And by the time the north London giants begin their new Premier League campaign by hosting Wolves in mid-August, the talented star could find himself with new employers.
