HENRY SIGNS FOR BARCA!!!

[Karabiner]

at least Arsenal have still got  Baptista.

 

 

[AndrewT]

£16M though really pisses me off just like it did when Vieira left for £14m a couple of years ago.

this is my only gripe...16mill is a joke for Henry in todays football money..

Here's something to put it into perspective.

Another transfer rumour today is Tottenham paying £17m for Darren Bent...

[boldie]

£16M though really pisses me off just like it did when Vieira left for £14m a couple of years ago.

this is my only gripe...16mill is a joke for Henry in todays football money..

Here's something to put it into perspective.

Another transfer rumour today is Tottenham paying £17m for Darren Bent...

yeah just read that one sportinglife....16mill for Henry or 17 for Bent...wonder which one I'd go for.
English (actually British) players go for more than their real value..it's a joke.

[Graham C]

Just heard!  Gutted about this and £16m ?  Are you sure?  One of the best players in the world going for only £16m.

Money aside, I'm still gutted.  Henry's been amazing to watch over the years but on the plus side, we do have some great talent coming through.  Can't wish him anything but the best for the move to Spain.

[AdamG]

you wont see the best of henry at barca, no way... his move to them would be disastrous for him in my eyes and he wouldnt really have the chance to perform on biggest league and stages in league football anymore and show the world how good he is (when he isnt injured)

[raab11]

you wont see the best of henry at barca, no way... his move to them would be disastrous for him in my eyes and he wouldnt really have the chance to perform on biggest league and stages in league football anymore and show the world how good he is (when he isnt injured)

your being sarcastic adam, right?

[Nem]

You should have sold him when Real and Barca offered £50million for him in May 2006.

£16million -- we are about to spend more on Bent...

[Karabiner]

Personally, I only wish TH14 the very best of luck for the rest of his career.

He only did right for Arsenal, and I have not a bad word to say about him either as a man or a player.

He could have seen out his old contract and moved on a Bosman, but he chose to sign a new four year contract so that Arsenal would get recompensed for his services, and boy did we get some services, many of which will stay with me for ever.

He didn't really seem happy in himself last season playing in a younger team and struggling with injury and fatigue and I honestly feel that it will be mutually benficial for TH14 to move on and let our evolving youth take on more responsibility.

Thierry Henry I salute you. 

[Rooky9]

Personally, I only wish TH14 the very best of luck for the rest of his career.

He only did right for Arsenal, and I have not a bad word to say about him either as a man or a player.

He could have seen out his old contract and moved on a Bosman, but he chose to sign a new four year contract so that Arsenal would get recompensed for his services, and boy did we get some services, many of which will stay with me for ever.

He didn't really seem happy in himself last season playing in a younger team and struggling with injury and fatigue and I honestly feel that it will be mutually benficial for TH14 to move on and let our evolving youth take on more responsibility.

Thierry Henry I salute you. 

 

If all footballers handled themselves like him, and were such 'professionals'. I'm gutted that the PL is losing him. Can anyone list the Worlds top five players and which league they play in? I think 'the best league in the world' could be down to one representative.

[dan]

at least Arsenal have still got  Baptista.

 

Have we?? Are you sure?? Strange that I'm sure he has gone back to Madrid.

Oh and by the way I was  when he scored 4 at Anfield, when was the last time a Liverpool player scored 4 at Anfield??

[The Baron]

Crouch scored 3 not long ago....

[dan]

Im sure I said FOUR or can you just not think the last time a Liverpool player scored 4 at Anfield? I remember the last liverpool player to score 4, and he was worse than Baptista,but that was away from home

[AdamG]

Im sure I said FOUR or can you just not think the last time a Liverpool player scored 4 at Anfield? I remember the last liverpool player to score 4, and he was worse than Baptista,but that was away from home

when was the last time LIVERPOOL scored 4.... not some liverpool player to score 4 at anfield :p

[Graham C]

and he missed a pen in that game

[Triple X]

ok first post in a while as have been away a fair bit.

Absolutely devastated by the news but slowl coming to terms with it - today was closure for me and my 7 year old son when we took down the Henry posters off his bedroom wall!!

As for the fee - yes £16 mill is light but lets remember he has no sell on value.  When people are paying 16 mill for Bent its because they know that in the vast majority of cases if he were to be sold they would recoup more than 50%so in effect its much lower.  Also Henry was on c. £150,000 a week - thats £7.5 mill a year.  Bent will be on probably £30,000 i.e. £1.5 mill a year.  Over 4 years thats £6mill v £30 mill a difference of £24 mill.  No one other than chelsea is gonna pay £150,000 a week and say £30 mill.  So in the light of this, unfortunately whilst it seems a low figure, there is plenty of justification - we have also saved ourselves 3 years of £7.5 m pa so thats another £22.5 mill.

Henry is a hero to me.  A professional footballer and for once the word professional can not be used lightly.  He graced the premiership and his true professionalism both on and off the pitch are an example to all todays English p*ss head troublemaker baby bentley boys. 

For me the real villain here is the Arsenal board.  They did not think through the consequences of 'sacking' David Dein - a man who's only crime was to see his beloved Arsenal progress and keep up with the pace of 21st Century big business football.  I am sorry Mr Hill Wood and Mr Tax Exile Fiszmann but elegant board rooms and history whilst important will leave us behind to every team that is being bought by billionaire businessmen, from Man City to Newcastle and Birmingham (soon) to Villa.

As for the future - this is make or break for Arsenal.  This is a real turning point and what happens in the transfer window will have a huge influence on our future.  There is no doubt that with Henry we were often a 1 man team with no recognised striker - most forwards could not work with him and everything went through him.  Times change and now is a new era.  I supect a lot of the play now will come via Cesc and this year will be big for Robin Van Persie.  However we need a world class striker quick.

Lets not forget we finished 20 odd points behind Man Ure last season and since then we have lost our talisman, captain and record goalscorer.  They on the other hand have spent £50 odd million!!  Oh Dear!!

Anyway heads up Gooners - lets thank Thierry for the memories and move on with a good young squad that should hopefully be strengthened now.