The former Arsenal hero has said in the past he would
only ever return to England to play for his old club again. But if
you ask me, I wouldn’t blame him if he went to play under Alex
Ferguson, especially if Barcelona want to get rid of him.
Most Arsenal fans would love the French idol back at
the Emirates one day. But it’s fairly obvious Arsene Wenger doesn’t
want him. So what right has anyone to stand in his way if there is
a move to Old Trafford on offer? After all, he’s no David
Beckham.
When Becks left England for Real Madrid he said he’d
never play for another Premier League club other than his beloved
United — and he was as good as his word. After his Spanish
adventure, even with the likes of Newcastle and Arsenal sniffing
around, he joined a side halfway across the world no one had even
heard of rather than come back here. It proved just how much he
loves United.
There’s no doubt Henry loves the Gunners. The club and
Wenger made him what he is today. But I just don’t know if he has
the same affection for the club as Becks has for United. We’ll soon
see. Of course, Arsenal fans would be devastated if Henry joined
their biggest rivals. In their book, there is no worse crime.
But look at this sensibly. Thierry, who turns 31 on
Sunday, still has bags to offer and only a few years left to show
it. For one reason or another, he hasn’t had the kind of success at
Barcelona he’d have probably hoped for. If he is out for one last
move, then he will want to come back to England where everyone
loves him and he can be the main man again.
Other than Arsenal, there’s only one team for a player
of that calibre — and that’s United. Part of me wonders whether
this is all just a big smokescreen, though.
Ferguson has made no secret of the fact that Dimitar
Berbatov is still his No 1 target. But Fergie is the master of mind
games and I wouldn’t put it past him if all this speculation is
just a way of putting more pressure on Berba to move.
Berba’s people will be jumping through hoops to get his
transfer from Tottenham back on the go. And what’s the worst that
can happen for Fergie? Miss out on Berba only to sign Henry? That’s
hardly a booby prize, is it?
I still think Berba would be the better signing. The
Bulgarian is a central striker and would fit perfectly into
United’s system. And, at 27, he is clearly a more long-term option
too.
The only other attacking player United would probably
be interested in is Lionel Messi — although I don’t think Barca
would sell. That’s what I love about Alex Ferguson, though. All
these trophies and he still wants to sign the best in the
world.