It is rumoured that one of football’s greats, Thierry Henry, will walk away from Barcelona this summer and head stateside for the MLS.
The ex-Arsenal idol will be joining the likes of David Beckham, as reports suggest that the 32-year-old striker has allegedly signed a pre-contract agreement with MLS franchise New York Red Bulls.
Henry has been unable to hold down a regular place at the Nou Camp this season and has slipped behind the likes of Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and even the emerging Pedro in the pecking order. It has also been reported that the president of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, has told Henry that he is free to leave the club in the summer if he wishes to do so.
This season, the Frenchman has only managed to notch up a number of displays for the Spanish giants. The striker has made a total of 25 appearances in all competitions, whilst netting just the 4 times for Barca…very poor statistics for a man of his talent.
Henry was once a cult-hero at Arsenal, and was regarded by many as the best striker in the world at one time. In his 8 years at Arsenal, the Frenchman became the clubs top goal scorer of all time in the premiership. He amassed a mind-blowing 174 goals in 254 appearances, overtaking Arsenal legend Ian Wright previous record.
Henry made the move to Barcelona from the gunners in June 2007 for a fee of approximately £16 million. Since his move 3 years ago, ‘Titi’ has managed to accumulate just the 35 goals in 78 games. He has been out of favour recently and is now looking to move away from the Nou Camp this summer. But at the age of only 32, is Henry’s choice to head to the US a wise one? He is still very much capable of doing a job in the premier league, as well as playing in other domestic leagues around Europe. So is his decision to join the MLS an act of greed? More importantly is the MLS the right move at this stage of his career? Or has the striker finally succumbed to the inevitable conclusion?
David Beckham made the famous move to the US in 2007, when he swapped the Spanish life to join LA Galaxy. Just like Henry, Beckham could have done a job elsewhere, but many viewed the players move as an act of greed more than a football decision. Beckham now seems to give the impression that he wants away from the US, having had two consecutive loan spells at AC Milan in the last two years.
Some fans may see Henry’s proposed move to the MLS come far too early in his career. The ex-Arsenal man still has undeniable ability to offer any European club for at least a couple more seasons. Only he will know why he has decided to go stateside, and if he wishes to end his career in the ‘graveyard’ of football, then we can only wish him the very best.
However, don’t rule out a Beckham-style-loan-move from the Frenchman, consequently, we may see the striker back sooner than we think.
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Goals and skills of the legendary Thierry Henry:
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