The high profile transfer of this season, Thierry Henry says he is quitting Arsenal to join Spanish giants Barcelona on a four-year deal.
“I still must pass a medical on Monday but yes, I have chosen Barcelona,” the 29-year-old striker told French sports daily L’Equipe.
Barcelona claim he will sign for £16million in a four-year deal worth £128,000 a week. Barcelona had already revealed that they were close to bringing Henry to the Nou Camp in a £16m deal.
In his letter to The Sun, Henry said,
“Arsene Wenger 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 this coming season.I respect his decision and 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.â€
Henry was the key player of Arsenal in English Premiership title wins in 2002 and 2004 as well as four FA Cups and was additionally elected Premiership player of the year on three occasions as well as four times topping the goal scoring charts.He hit 226 goals in 364 games at Arsenal.The striker, who arrived from Juventus for £10.5m in 1999, was in Barcelona’s Radar since they first targeted him in 2005.
Timelines of Thierry Henry
- Born August 17, 1977 in Paris, France
- Joins French first division club Monaco as a 13-year-old in 1991, making his debut at the beginning of the 1994/95 season, under then manager Arsene Wenger.
- Voted French Young Player of the Year a season later
- Scores nine goals in 36 matches to help Monaco to the French championship in 1997
- Plays in six of France’s seven games in their 1998 World Cup victory on home soil, staying on the bench for the 3-0 final victory over Brazil
- Moves to Juventus in January 1999 where he starts just 12 games before joining Arsenal only eight months later for £10.5 million
- Helps Arsenal win the league and FA Cup double in 2001-02 and finishes the season as the Premier League’s top scorer, a feat he repeats on three more occasions
- Wins his second successive FA Cup in 2003 and is voted both Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and Football Writers’ Association player of the year. Finishes second in the European Footballer of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year polls.
- Helps Arsenal stay undefeated as they win the Premier League in 2004. He retains the PFA award and becomes the first to be named player of the year by the football writers in successive seasons.
- In October 2005, becomes the top scorer in Arsenal’s history
- Scores 200th goal for the club during the 2005/06 season and captains the club to their first Champions League final where they are beaten 2-1 by Barcelona. Named writers’ player of the year again — the only player to win it three times.
After Patrick Vierra, Ashley Cole and Thierry Henry, Who is Next ? Is it the Gunners chief Arsene Wenger, he is on the shortlist to boss Barcelona’s Spanish rivals Real Madrid.
Update 1 :
REAL MADRID and Barcelona have put Arsene Wenger on top of their wanted list. Real president Ramon Calderon will decide on Monday whether to replace Fabio Capello. And Arsenal boss Wenger heads the names in the frame.
Barcelona also want the mercurial Frenchman to be Nou Camp chief, as boss Frank Rijkaard is on his way out. Wenger, 57, has only one year left on his Gunners contract and has said he is unwilling to commit himself beyond 2008.
After close friend David Dein’s controversial departure; star player Henry now on his way to Barca; and no money for big signings, sources close to Wenger believe he may consider his time has run out.
Update 2 :
