On Monday, Arsenal and Sturm Graz confirmed the transfer of young striker Mika Biereth.
Sturm report that Biereth has signed a contract until 2028, with the player saying: “I think everyone has seen how comfortable I felt here at the club and in the team during my loan.
“Added to that was the great sporting success with the double and qualification for the Champions League, which I am extremely excited about.
“I would like to thank Andreas Schicker for trying so hard for me and I am extremely excited to hopefully repay his trust and achieve our goals together with the team. Let’s go Schwoaze, I am really happy to be back in Graz!”
Arsenal’s sporting director Edu wrote: “We are so proud of the progress Mika has made since joining us. This new opportunity with Sturm Graz is great for Mika, and it’s a good example of what a strong loan development plan produces.
“Mika will be playing Champions League football when the season starts again, which he deserves due to his mentality and performances in recent seasons.”
Biereth had already appeared to confirm the move earlier on Monday, writing on Instagram: “Once a gooner, always a gooner. Thank you for everything.”
The Athletic reported last week that Arsenal have agreed a £4m fee with Sturm for the permanent transfer of Biereth.
That fee is a club record for Sturm, and they’ve also included a sell-on clause in the deal.
Biereth spent last season on loan with Sturm, but he returned to pre-season training with the Arsenal u21s early last week.
He’s now set to rejoin the club for whom he scored nine goals in 22 games last season, winning the Austrian league and cup double.
Over the course of the full season, including his time with Motherwell in the first half of the campaign, Biereth scored 15 goals in 37 games in 2023/24.
The 21-year-old striker never made an appearance for Arsenal during his time with the club, though he did feature in matchday squads on four occasions.
