Henry Arsenal and Barcelona
Thierry's Transfer is the Deal of the Summer but for Whom
The Arsenal captain's £16.1m move to the Catalan Giants is likely to be the most important deal of the transfer window and raises some massive questions for both teams.
Barcelona
Henry’s Arsenal club record 226 goals are compelling evidence that Barcelona have managed to capture one of the top attacking talents in modern football. His natural finesse and tendency to vacate the middle of the pitch to collect the ball and begin moves from out wide fit well with Barcelona’s attacking ethos; which encourages forwards with exceptional skill and awareness to view their positions in the formation as interchangeable depending on the exact circumstances at any given moment of a game. Off the field the Catalan side will also benefit from Henry’s warm and cheeky personality, something which will be extremely attractive to current sponsors and companies looking to cash in on football’s worldwide brand.
Despite all of the positives, however, Henry is probably at the beginning of the end of his most productive years. The injuries he suffered last season are a cause for concern and he could also fall victim to Shevchenko syndrome by experiencing problems settling in to an entirely different footballing culture; especially at a club where the only thing that exceeds the size of the egos is the size of the expectations. Possibly of most concern, however, is that the attacking positions in coach Frank Rijkard’s preferred 4-3-3 formation are already occupied by Messi, Eto'o and Ronaldinho and the Frenchman's arrival will do nothing to solve the team's title deciding defensive frailties. Barcelona surely must realise that a balanced transfer policy is essential to avoid the ghosts of the Galacticos walking the corridors of the Camp Nou.
Arsenal
The Gunners have reached a huge tipping point in their attempts to transform into a 21st century club. Normally receiving £16.1m for any 29 year old would be exceptional business, but Henry wasn't any 29 year old. He was the perfect centre forward for Arsene Wenger's modus operandi; quick, athletic, with a touch like pure silk; the architect of moments of genius that were worth the price of admission on their own. Now his unquantifiable experience has been lost to a young team who, although undoubtedly skilled, misfire all too often in his absence. The list of those departed that now stretches from Highbury to the Emirates is confirmation that Arsenal remain the only selling club amongst the Premiership's top four. With their talisman gone, a short fuse burning on their manager's contract and a costly new stadium to fill they're also the side most at threat from the clubs just below.
Worries aside, Arsenal still have the two priceless commodities of an extremely talented squad and a manager with an amazing ability for recognising and developing potential. With the revenue from the Henry sale and the new stadium Arsenal have a fantastic opportunity to continue their policy of swapping seemingly irreplaceable aging stars for seemingly exceptional young talent. Most importantly, though, the time has now come for the new Arsenal generation to write their own names in football history. No longer can they look to Henry’s presence for inspiration or his absence for justification and while they may never make “Thierry who?” a realistic question they and their coach certainly have the ability to make the transfer of Henry the first step in proving that Arsenal’s greatest era is the future.
