Arsenal Could Ex Barca Champions League Winner

37-year-old Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry could yet again join Arsenal in January according to reports from the Daily Mail. The Frenchman, who plays for New York Red Bulls in the Major League Soccer (MLS) League, is being linked with a shock return to Europe and Arsenal, Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and another former club, Monaco have been speculated to be his destination. Henry is reportedly at the end of his contract with New York Red Bulls and a January move could just be a possibility. Sealing a deal to Arsenal wouldn’t be very difficult as a very cordial relationship exists between not only the manager, Arsene Wenger and Henry but also the entire Arsenal management. However, the player’s preference would really matter here.  A third stint at Arsenal wouldn’t materialize if he decides to try another Ligue 1 experience with any of PSG and former club Monaco.

Henry, who moved to the MLS in 2010 from Barcelona, has played in France, Italy, England and Spain with Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal and Barcelona in Europe, before joining New York Red Bulls. There in the United States, he won the Supporters’ Shield and the Eastern Conference but never the MLS Cup with New York Red Bulls. At 37, one would expect a European return a big joke as he may not attract interests from any club, but his strings of spectacular goals and displays for NYRB, proves that he still has some good form while the class is permanent. Comments from Gerard Houlier, former Liverpool manager turned Global Head of Football for NYRB, affirms Henry’s form, which says: ‘‘Does he have the level to play in Ligue 1? Yes, no problem.  So far, no decision has been made, either in one direction or the other. Thierry has not decided to end his career.’’ 

Thierry Henry started his senior career at Monaco under Arsene Wenger in 1994 and was there till 1999, winning a domestic title with the club in 1997. He left Monaco in January 1999 and moved to Juventus in a £10.5m deal but was ineffective on the wings against defensively disciplined Italian Serie A oppositions and became unsettled in Italy. He reunited with his former manager, Arsene Wenger at Arsenal in the summer of the same year, 1999 and went on to become the club legend in 8 years by scoring 174 goals in 254 appearances- the club’s record. After a 3-year-spell with Barcelona, where he netted 35 times in 80 games, he moved to the MLS with New York Red Bulls. However, since joining the American club, he had returned to the Emirates once on loan from NYRB in 2012 scoring once in 4 games for Arsenal. Thierry Henry, no doubt was a mercurial player for Arsenal but whether he still has the energy and physicality to cope with the English Premier League isn’t certain.

Having the player, however, as a player-coach at Arsenal would be something to relish as Arsene Wenger may be willing to replicate himself at the North London club before he either retires or leaves the club. No other player would fit in snugly for an Arsene Wenger replacement, other than Thierry Henry, who had been a protégé of Wenger for cumulatively over a decade.