[HasanHasanly]

Henry headed to Barcelona
June 22, 2007

Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has signed with FC Barcelona, Spanish news report said Friday June 22, 2007. Barcelona will pay euro24 million (US$32 million) for Henry, who signed a 4-year deal, Cadena Ser radio and the newspaper El Pais said.
AP - Jun 22, 2:30 pm EDT
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MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Thierry Henry is leaving Arsenal to sign with Barcelona in one of European soccer's major transfers of the offseason.

Barcelona will pay $32 million for the 29-year-old forward, who agreed to a four-year contract, Cadena Ser radio and the newspaper El Pais said Friday. Barcelona planned to announce the signing on Saturday.

Henry has been with Arsenal since 1999, scoring a club-record 226 goals in 364 appearances. He helped the Gunners win two English Premier League titles and four Football Association Cups.

Source

As Henry and Eto are good friends, does this mean we get R10 (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (Porty, come in, come in (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) )

This post has been edited by HasanHasanly: Jun 22 2007, 08:19 PM

[jbryant1]

Henry: Only Barca Could Lure Me

Sat 23 Jun, 09:09 PM

Thierry Henry has claimed he would only have left the Emirates Stadium for Barcelona - because they play "the Arsenal way".

The France striker is on the verge of clinching a reported £16million move to the Nou Camp after finally deciding his time in north London must come to an end.

Henry is due in Catalonia on Sunday after the two clubs agreed the terms of the deal, with the Gunners claiming earlier today that just a medical and the "completion of formalities" stand between the move taking place.

In an open letter to The Sun, the 29-year-old claimed uncertainty over manager Arsene Wenger's future was a major factor in his decision to leave the Gunners, and also cited the departure of former vice-chairman David Dein, a close personal friend of Henry's, as another reason to quit for Spain.

Henry has now expanded on the logic behind his prospective move, and insisted Barca's footballing philosophy means it is his only possible destination after Arsenal.

"I left Arsenal to go to Barcelona because, no disrespect to any other team, but there are only two teams in the world who play football the way I like it," he told Arsenal's official website.

"That is the way the people here like it - the Arsenal way.

"That is how we play football here and 'we' play football there.

"If I can say that is one of the is the main reasons for (choosing) Barcelona. The football they play is attractive to watch."

Henry's apparently certain departure has come as a massive blow to the club and its supporters, who are still raking over the ashes of another disappointing season.

A fourth-placed finish in the Barclays Premiership for a second season running failed to meet expectations, while there was no consolation to be found in the cup competitions where a final defeat by Chelsea in the Carling Cup was as good as it got for Wenger's men.

But Henry believes Gunners fans have every reason to be optimistic despite his decision to jump ship, and is adamant the talent is already there to fill his sizeable boots.

The former Juventus and Monaco frontman compares the situation now facing Arsenal to that encountered in 2005 when former captain and midfield lynchpin Patrick Vieira left for Juve.

Cesc Fabregas emerged immediately as a world-class replacement and was central to a run to the Champions League final the next season.

And Henry believes history will repeat itself in his wake.

He continued: "The team here is growing and there is some amazing talent here and I do think this is the right time for Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner, who is coming back from Birmingham, to shine.

"Hopefully they will do it. As soon as you know they can do it, they will forget about me, that's the way it is.

"When Patrick left everyone was devastated, including me and then after that a little guy came around called Cesc Fabregas and, although I didn't agree with it, everyone started saying 'who needs Patrick Vieira'?

"I don't believe what everybody is saying about the club collapsing, having a lack of players and everyone leaving. I think it is untrue.

"Cesc Fabregas is a world-class player, Robin van Persie is a world-class player, hopefully Adebayor will become a world-class player, Tomas Rosicky is a world-class player, Jens Lehmann is a world-class player, (Kolo) Toure and (William) Gallas are world-class players. You can go through the whole squad like that."