JUST IN: Arsenal must regrets selling incredible star who’s now outscoring Havertz & Watkins

Arsenal’s Striker Dilemma: A Costly Transfer Decision?

Sunday night was a moment of euphoria for Arsenal fans as Mikel Arteta’s side delivered a statement victory over Manchester City, dismantling the defending champions with an emphatic 5-1 scoreline. The win was highlighted by brilliant goals from Hale End academy graduates Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, while Kai Havertz also produced a stunning curling strike to add to the spectacle.
However, despite his well-taken goal, Havertz’s performance wasn’t without its flaws. The German international squandered a golden opportunity in the first half—an all-too-familiar moment that reignited concerns about Arsenal’s lack of a clinical striker. Many supporters had been clamoring for the club to reinforce the No. 9 position during the winter transfer window, but despite strong links to various forwards, including Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, the club ultimately refrained from making a move.
Instead, the window closed without Arsenal securing a new center-forward—an omission that feels even more glaring given that the club offloaded a striker last summer who is now outscoring both Havertz and Watkins.

Arsenal’s Striker Search: A Lingering Issue

If you had asked Arsenal fans last summer about the squad’s biggest weakness, many would have pointed to the lack of a reliable goalscorer. Despite that, the club prioritized other reinforcements, bringing in Riccardo Calafiori, Neto, Raheem Sterling, and Mikel Merino instead of a traditional striker.
As the season unfolded, however, Arsenal’s need for a clinical No. 9 became more apparent. Injuries to key attackers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus left the team struggling in the final third, creating what could only be described as an attacking crisis. This situation made it inevitable that Arsenal would be linked with numerous strikers during the January transfer window.
One of the earliest names to emerge was RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško, a young talent with 17 goal involvements already this season. Despite Arsenal’s interest, Leipzig remained firm in their stance that the Slovenian forward would not be sold before the summer.
Another long-standing target was Dušan Vlahović. The Serbian striker, who has recorded 13 goals and two assists this season, was frequently touted for a move to the Emirates. Yet, just like with Šeško, no deal materialized.
The most intriguing link, however, surfaced late in the window when reports suggested that Arsenal had tabled an offer for Ollie Watkins. The approach was ultimately unsuccessful, and discussions never progressed beyond that initial bid.
Given the stakes this season—Arsenal’s title challenge and ambitions in multiple competitions—the failure to recruit a prolific forward can only be described as a missed opportunity. What makes matters worse is that a striker the club sold for a modest fee in the summer is now outperforming both Havertz and Watkins.

Mika Biereth: The One That Got Away?

Over the summer, Arsenal parted ways with several players, including Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Aaron Ramsdale, and Mohamed Elneny. But the player currently drawing attention is Mika Biereth.
The young Danish striker spent the second half of last season on loan at Sturm Graz in Austria, where he impressed with nine goals and four assists in 22 appearances. His performances earned him a £4 million permanent move to the Austrian club—a decision that, in hindsight, may have been premature.
This season, Biereth has elevated his game to another level, notching 14 goals and five assists in 25 games. His prolific form did not go unnoticed, and last month, AS Monaco swooped in with a £10.8 million bid to bring him to Ligue 1.
Since arriving in France, the 21-year-old has wasted no time making an impact, scoring four goals and registering one assist in just four matches. This brings his season total to 18 goals and six assists in 19 games—a tally that surpasses both Havertz and Watkins.
For comparison:

Ollie Watkins has managed 11 goals and nine assists in 33 games this season—an impressive return, but still seven goals and four goal involvements fewer than Biereth.

Kai Havertz, Arsenal’s makeshift striker, has 15 goals and five assists in 33 appearances—once again, trailing behind Biereth’s contributions.

While some may argue that Biereth’s initial goal tally came in the Austrian Bundesliga—a league considered less competitive than the Premier League—his immediate success in Ligue 1, a top-five European league, suggests his scoring instincts are no fluke.

Arsenal’s Striker Gamble: A Costly Oversight?

As Arsenal push forward in their quest for silverware, their lack of a consistent goal scorer remains a pressing concern. Havertz has shown flashes of brilliance, but his inconsistency in front of goal has left many questioning whether he is a long-term solution. Watkins, while a proven Premier League forward, was ultimately unattainable.
With Mika Biereth now thriving at Monaco, it raises an uncomfortable question: Did Arsenal make a mistake in selling him so soon?
While there’s no way of knowing how he would have fared in North London, the evidence suggests Arsenal may have let a natural goalscorer slip through their fingers. With the title race heating up and every goal potentially making the difference, their decision to ignore the striker position could come back to haunt them.