Wenger: Henry is staying
06 Apr 2007 - 17:28:12
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has rubbished reports linking Thierry Henry with a summer switch to Barcelona.
Stories in Friday's newspapers suggested the Catalan giants were ready to launch a £20million bid for the French striker who was linked with a move to the Camp Nou last summer.
Henry has since signed a new contract with the Gunners and has been reported as saying he wants to spend the rest of his career at the Emirates Stadium.
Wenger has slammed the story, saying: "The story is wrong. I had a chat with Thierry this morning.
"He asked me whether I'd read the newspapers. I'd not heard about his story. But it's completely invented. He's clear, he wants to stay. I'm clear, I want him to stay. So that story has been created.
"He wanted to make it obvious to everybody. I was not concerned because I know the day Thierry Henry wants to leave he will knock at my door and say: 'Listen, I want to go somewhere.' As long as he didn't do that [I wasn't worried].
"I'm optimistic that [the break will benefit him]. It's good sometimes to look at your job from a distance.
"First of all you experience how much you miss it and secondly you are natural in your analysing of the game. You are more objective about the football situations."