Posted June 22, 200718 yr Barcelona are in talks with Arsenal with a view to signing Thierry Henry, BBC Sport understands. Officials for the Spanish club are in London negotiating with the Gunners over a reported £16m transfer fee. Barcelona hope to close the deal by next week for Arsenal's record goalscorer who has long been linked with a move to the Nou Camp. The 29-year-old's agent, Jeff Weston, told BBC Sport: "The SEM Group have no comment to make." Earlier in June, the agency rubbished reports from France that the Arsenal star had agreed a provisional three-year contract with Barcelona. Henry signed a new four-year contract with the Gunners last year but appeared to cast doubt on his future in June when he said he was flattered by interest from AC Milan. This came after he said he was "devastated" when Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein left the club in April because of "irreconcilable differences" with the rest of the board. Both AC Milan and Barcelona had declared their interest in the player, who has been constantly linked with a big-money move away from Arsenal for the last few summers. Meanwhile, former Arsenal team-mate Patrick Vieira told BBC Five Live that he feared Henry would leave the Gunners if the Premiership side did not bring several world-class players. "If Arsenal bring two or three big names that will show Thierry that they want to compete," said the current Inter Milan player. "If that's not the case Thierry will ask himself what is the best for him." Source: BBC Sport Can't help but feel this will be bad deal if it goes ahead for Arsenal. There's barely any world class strikers around at the moment that you could buy for a reasonable price, but saying that if this deal goes ahead then it might just pave the way for Eto'o to be shown the exit door by Barca...
June 22, 200718 yr £16m for Henry, £17m for Bent. Go figure... Yeah but Bent is 23 and Henry is 30 Henry's game is 100% about pace, in the next 2 years he will lose that pace and be screwed, Bent is about an aerial game mostly
June 22, 200718 yr More signs that Wenger is suffering from dementia. 16m is taking the p***. Leeds#2
June 22, 200718 yr More signs that Wenger is suffering from dementia. 16m is taking the p***. Leeds#2 I think that's going a little bit too far... Leeds were overspending massively, Arsenal aren't really. I know they're in huge debt but selling out the Emirates will pay that off quite quickly. Henry isn't irreplaceable, and Wenger has a reputation of signing players for nothing and turning them into stars (Ljungberg, Henry) Edited June 22, 200718 yr by thefletch
June 22, 200718 yr I think that's going a little bit too far... Leeds were overspending massively, Arsenal aren't really. I know they're in huge debt but selling out the Emirates will pay that off quite quickly. Henry isn't irreplaceable, and Wenger has a reputation of signing players for nothing and turning them into stars (Ljungberg, Henry) Yeah that was a bit over the top. We need Kreonke to be the club and sack the board. If Wenger doesn't sign a world class replacement we are doomed. Adebayor is currently first choice striker *shudder*
June 22, 200718 yr Well you are apparently getting Torres so thats hardly a bad replacement I thought he was coming to Liverpool.
June 22, 200718 yr Author Well you are apparently getting Torres so thats hardly a bad replacement The rumours wh just were rife he was going to Liverpool but I just don't know anymore. Both Liverpool and Arsenal seem to be linked with just about every striker that's avaliable at the moment a la Bent, Torres, Eto'o, Forlan etc. I don't think Torres would really be a good buy for either Arsenal or Liverpool though tbh. He's a good player, but whether he's suitable for the Premiership I just don't know. I've a feeling he might be a flop though.
June 23, 200718 yr Torres would be c**p. Spanish players always flop. The only exceptions are ones at Liverpool (Spanish Manager) though some he's signed were c**p (Josemi, Nunez), and Arteta & Fabregas (played most of their careers in Britain)
June 23, 200718 yr Author Arsenal have confirmed they have reached an agreement with Barcelona for the transfer of striker Thierry Henry. The deal, thought to be worth about £16m to the Gunners, is subject to the Frenchman, 29, passing a medical. Barca announced on their website that they expect Henry, who joined Arsenal from Juventus in 1999, to agree terms on a four-year deal within hours. "I still must pass a medical on Monday but yes, I have chosen Barcelona," he told French sports daily L'Equipe. Earlier, Barcelona revealed that they were close to bringing Henry to the Nou Camp, with vice-president Ferran Soriano telling Spanish sports newspaper Marca that talks were at an "advanced" stage. Soriano added it was "the wish of all parties" for an agreement to be reached for the transfer of Henry. This is solely my decision, no-one has forced me to do anything He also insisted that Barcelona waited for the green light from Arsenal before making a move for the France international, who is the club's all-time record goalscorer. "We don't want to point a gun at anybody," said Soriano. "We have good relationships with the European clubs." Henry, who only agreed a lucrative new deal with Arsenal 12 months ago, also confirmed his exit in The Sun newspaper. In an open letter, he blamed the shock departure of Gunners vice-chairman David Dein and continuing doubts over the future of manager Arsene Wenger as the main reasons for his decision to leave. "Arsene has been part of my life for as long as I can remember," he wrote. "Unfortunately and understandably, he has said that at this moment he will not commit to the club past the expiration of his current deal, which finishes at the end of the coming season. "I respect his decision and his honesty but I will be 31 at the end of next season and I cannot take the chance to be there without Arsene Wenger and David Dein. "This is solely my decision, no-one has forced me to do anything and I will represent myself in this transaction. I feel it is something I just had to do." Henry, who has also been linked with European champions AC Milan, has also revealed why he decided to move to the Nou Camp ahead of other possible destinations. "Barcelona are a wonderful club steeped in tradition and play beautiful football. I'm sure I will be very happy there," he continued. "But I will miss the Arsenal fans dearly, they have supported me through thick and thin. "They will always be in my heart, as will all the fans who make the game here so special. I will always have a special bond with Arsenal Football Club." Arsenal's 1971 League and FA Cup winning captain Frank McLintock was surprised Henry cited former vice-chairman Dein as a reason for leaving. He said: "I can't see the relevance of David Dein's departure. I don't know how a player can get caught up with a director's departure and that making a difference to a player's performance. "I'm sure he was a great ally to Arsene Wenger but I don't see how a player comes into contact with a director day after day. "I've never heard such talk in my life before." The Scot, however, was lavish in his praise of Henry's performances throughout his Arsenal career. He added: "He's probably been the finest player Arsenal have ever had so you can't dismiss five or six great seasons that he gave us. "I think the fans should leave with a warm feeling for Thierry Henry. He deserves it - he has been magnificent." Frenchman Henry has been linked to Barcelona for some time Henry began his career as a winger with Monaco in 1994 - under the supervision of current Arsenal boss Wenger. He was in France's 1998 World Cup-winning squad and went on to join Juventus the following season. But his time in Turin was a largely unsuccessful one and the player was soon heading to north London, with Wenger keen to get the best out of the prodigious talent. The France international has since blossomed into one of the greatest talents in world football. He helped Arsenal to two league titles and three FA Cups and led the Gunners to the finals of the 2000 Uefa Cup and 2006 Champions League. In February 2006, he became the first Arsenal player to score over 200 goals for the club, with a strike against Birmingham, and has bagged a club record 226 goals in 364 appearances for the Gunners. His consistency in front of goal ensured he finished as the Premier League's top scorer on four occasions. He has won the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year title on two occasions and the football writers' player of the year three times. He has also twice finished runner-up in the Fifa world player of the year Source: BBC Sport He'll definitley be a Barca player now, providing he passes his medical, I really don't know who Arsenal are gonna get as a replacement though, but it's got to be a big name player to replace someone like Henry. Tevez, Bent, Eto'o, Gudjohnsen, Forlan, Torres etc are all options but I don't think any of them would fit that well into the Arsenal team tbh.
June 24, 200718 yr http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l242/hotsoupdaley/thierryhenrybarca.jpg LMAO! :lol:
June 24, 200718 yr Its over. Without Wenger, the ethic is gone. The style will walk out the door with Henry and Wenger... and the surely soon to be following Fabregas, RVP, etc. These players, I fear, will not want to play for another coach at Arsenal, particularly without Henry as a mentor. Especially when many of them can go to any other top club. Within 2 seasons, Arsenal will be reduced to a mid-table role for quite some time I predict. Best Quote i've read from an Arsenal fan over the weekened. :D I hope he's right.
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