THIERRY HENRY has the chance to put the perfect seal on his Arsenal career after the club drew up a contract that could see him face Spurs in his last-ever game for the Gunners.
The Daily Express can reveal the New York Red Bulls have agreed to an initial loan period up to February 15 – the day Arsenal face AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
But the Gunners requested a clause that would allow them to extend the loan to February 26 – when they face Spurs. Arsenal are hopeful the Red Bulls will allow Henry to make that his swansong.
Having negotiated with the Red Bulls, Arsenal are just waiting to receive the necessary paperwork from the MLS.
Arsene Wenger has warned it will take Henry two weeks to regain full match fitness and the striker is not at the level he achieved when he became Arsenal’s record scorer with 226 goals.
“You can never take away from people what they have done, that will remain for ever,” said Wenger. “Nobody expects him to be what he was 10 years ago, we just want him to help out.
“It is credit to Thierry to want to be helpful to a club that has given him so much. Therefore, I feel there is no special pressure to be the player he was before.
“Before, he had the pace and the brain. Now he has to use his brain more. He always had both. Thierry and I are conscious he is 34, but he has not lost his class or his brain. That will be just enough for us.”
Wenger has asked the Moroccan and Ivory Coast football federations whether he can keep Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho for the FA Cup tie against Leeds on January 9 before they leave for African Nations Cup duty. He has also hinted he could dip into the January transfer market for a permanent signing if he can offload players.
