Wenger will not rush Henry talks

Post by **Dazza** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 2:09 pm

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will wait patiently for Thierry Henry to decide when - and if - contract negotiations between the club and player can begin.

The French striker, 28, will be free to leave Arsenal in the summer of 2007 and has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona at the end of this season.

Wenger said: "At his age it will be his last contract and it is healthy for him to ask himself what he wants to do.

"I would not rush him into a decision. We don't want to put pressure on him."

Henry has stated he will not discuss extending his stay with the Gunners before the end of the current campaign, fuelling speculation about his future.

And Barcelona president Joan Laporta said last month that the Spanish giants "will do all we can to sign Thierry Henry" in the summer.

Wenger reacted angrily and threatened to report Barca over their interest in the Gunners' skipper.

However, Wenger is certain that Henry would not try to engineer a move without Arsenal's knowledge.

He said: "I know Thierry Henry well enough to know he would never talk to other clubs behind our back. I feel that to question his attitude towards the club or his honesty is unfair.

"When we are ready, and when he is ready the decision will be made."

However, Arsenal do have grave concerns that they will not be able to hang on to their record goalscorer.

On Thursday, chairman Peter Hill-Wood told the Daily Star: "At the back of my mind there is a fear he will decide to go.

"I have no evidence - other than maybe I have been here too many times before with players and have become cynical.

"I am realistic enough to know that if he wanted to go he would and there would be nothing we could do about it.

"If he thought a move would better his career then we could lose him.

"It would be a shattering blow to lose him. We are as keen as mustard to keep him - he knows we are ready to talk about a new contract and will stretch every muscle to keep him."