Everton could take transfer chance on striker who plays like Premier League legend

Everton have been linked with a potential summer transfer move for Monaco striker Mika Biereth

Everton have been linked with a move for free-scoring Monaco striker Mika Biereth but what might the player potentially bring to David Moyes’ side? A report in TEAMtalk states Everton are set for one of the busiest transfer windows in their recent history and have registered an interest in Biereth as they look to bring in a new frontman.

The article adds that TEAMtalk understands Everton have shortlisted prolific Monaco star Biereth as a potential target for the summer, but it won’t be a straightforward deal to negotiate as the player only joined the Ligue 1 outfit for €13million plus €2million in potential add-ons during the January transfer window. Capped twice by Denmark, the 22-year-old was born in London to a Danish-German father and Bosnian mother on February 8, 2002.

Biereth learned the game in his native city and after finishing the 2020/21 season as the top scorer in the Under-18 Premier League South for Fulham with 21 goals (plus 13 assists), he moved across the capital to Arsenal, penning his first professional contract. Despite being named in Mikel Arteta’s matchday squad on four occasions – including both legs of their Carabao Cup semi-finals against Liverpool – the then teenager failed to make a senior appearance for the Gunners.

A hat-trick of loan spells then followed with Biereth farmed out to Dutch side RKC Waalwijk, where he struck twice in 13 matches in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign while the following season was split between stints with Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership (15 games, six goals) and then Austrian outfit Sturm Graz (22 games, nine goals). The player then completed a £4million permanent switch to the latter last summer and after netting a further 14 times in 25 matches this term, made his mid-season switch to the principality on the French Riviera.

Since then, Biereth has plundered 12 goals in 13 Ligue 1 games, including a hat-trick of hat-tricks in the space of a month at Stade Louis II, against Auxerre (February 1); Nantes (February 15) and Stade Reims (February 28), prompting Danish national team coach Brian Riemer to select him for both legs of the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals against Portugal in March. Just what kind of striker is he then?

Comparisonator’s Similarity tool calculates Biereth has having a 97% match to the Tottenham Hotspur all-time leading scorer and current England captain Harry Kane of Bayern Munich. In terms of current Premier League players, he is an 87% match to Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa; 80% to Raul Jimenez of Fulham and Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea; 78% to Alexander Isak of Newcastle United and 76% to Jamie Vardy of Leicester City.

The virtual transfer tool on Comparisonator also enables us to correlate Biereth’s statistics in Ligue 1 against strikers competing in the Premier League and there are several standout figures. In terms of goals per 90 minutes, his figure of 0.92 tops even English top flight leader Erling Haaland of Manchester City on 0.75, followed by Isak (0.7) and Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest (0.6).

Biereth would also be number one for expected goals (xG) on 0.76, which is higher than Haaland (0.71); Jackson (0.57) and Isak (0.55). In terms of opportunities converted (0.85), he’d also top Haaland (0.68); Isak (0.63) and Wood (0.5); and the same goes for playing in scoring attacks (1.54) where Isak (1.17); Haaland (0.93) and Liverpool’s Luis Diaz (0.92) are the Premier League leading three, all in his wake.

He can make as well as take chances too as with an average of 0.85, Biereth is despatching more key passes than English top flight leaders Jarrod Bowen of West Ham United (0.68); Joao Pedro of Brighton & Hove Albion (0.63) and Diaz (0.62). When it comes to shots, his figure of 2.54 would place him fourth in the Premier League behind Haaland (3.32); Bowen (2.68) and Jackson (2.62) but when it comes to shots on target, his figure of 1.62 can only be bettered by Haaland (2.04).

The piece in TEAMtalk also claims Everton retain an interest in Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson, even though the Republic of Ireland international has so far failed to score in his six matches on loan at West Ham United under Graham Potter, the manager who brought him through at the Amex Stadium. While it’s stated that the Blues remain admirers of the 20-year-old, the dilemma now could be whether to go for the one-time wonderkid in the hope that he could come good again, or plump for the in-form man in the hope he isn’t a flash in the pan.

*Comparisonator is a football data comparison tool from 271 professional leagues around the world which compares players and clubs by utilising over 100 different parameters. Click here for more details.