Former Arsenal chief reveals real 'reason' behind Thierry Henry's move to Barcelona in 2007
Former Arsenal's managing director Keith Edelman has opened up about the alleged reason behind Thierry Henry's move to Barcelona in in 2007. After spending eight years with the Gunners, the French superstar joined the Catalan giants for a reported €24 million transfer fee.
Thierry Henry was one of the most feared forwards in Europe at his peak. For the Gunners, he played 377 games, registering 228 goals and 96 assists. Henry continues to be the leading goalscorer in the club's history even a decade after hanging up his boots. Additionally, he won three FA Cups and two Premier League titles with the Gunners.
In an interview with The Sun, Keith Edelman claimed that the north London side were comfortable with letting him go to Barcelona for a price. According to him, Henry had become a "dead" player who was quickly losing his marquee attribute, i.e., speed.
“The reason Thierry moved on was because he was losing his speed. His game was basically all about speed. And if you lose your speed, then you’re dead. So, we got money for him despite the fact that he was on the downward trap," he said. (quoted by Football365)
Edelman went on to compare him with Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne, saying:
“It’s like Kevin De Bruyne. Would you have been better to sell him for more money at the end of last year? Or keep him and risk that he’d keep going this season?”
He also spoke about the skill of building a team and how the Gunners had some of the best players in the Premier League during their "invincible years."
“And therefore, if you win things, you have a lot of world-class players because that’s how you win things. But when they get older, it’s very difficult to replace them. You’ve got to look at how many world-class players you’ve got in your team, and they won’t be world-class forever, they get older and tend to dip," said Edelman.
"Arsenal were, in the Invincible years, were really lucky because, they had Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires, Sol Campbell and Gilberto Silva, there’s five world-class players," he concluded.
Thierry Henry stayed at Barcelona for three years, forming a deadly attacking trio with Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola. He also played a key role in their iconic treble win in the 2008-09 season.
When Thierry Henry chose between Monaco, Barcelona, and Arsenal
In December 2024, Thierry Henry was asked to choose between his former clubs - Barcelona, Arsenal, and AS Monaco. The French superstar claimed that while he enjoyed his time playing for all three sides, the Gunners had a special place in his heart. While doing his punditry duties on CBS Sports, he said:
"I have mad respect for Monaco and that's always gonna be the case, but Arsenal is where my heart is and that will never change. Number two, Arsenal. Three, Arsenal. Anyone that gave me a chance to express and have the opportunity to be on the field, that's my team in that country. In Spain, Barcelona. Monaco will always be my team in France. But Arsenal is Arsenal." (via The Mirror)
Henry joined the U-19 team of AS Monaco in 1993 from FC Versailles 78 Youth. After getting promoted to their senior side in 1995, the Frenchman played 141 games, recording 28 goals and three assists. In 1999, he joined the Gunners after a brief stint at Juventus.
After spending almost eight years in the Premier League, Henry joined Barcelona. For the Catalan giants, he played 121 games, racking up 49 goals and 27 assists.
