Arsenal confirm Henry Barca switch
Henry thanked the fans for their support during his time at Arsenal
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Saturday, 23, Jun 2007 06:13
Arsenal have confirmed that striker Thierry Henry will move Barcelona early next week. The fee for the Frenchman is expected to be £16 million.
A club statement said: "Arsenal football club can confirm that it has reached an agreement with Barcelona for the transfer of Thierry Henry.
"The deal is subject to a medical and the completion of formalities."
Earlier Henry had said the reason for his move to Barcelona was linked to the departure of former Arsenal vice chairman David Dein and the destabilising effect it has had on the club.
Henry said the reason he signed a new deal with the Gunners last summer was because of Dein and manager Arsene Wenger.
But the departure of Dein, who left because of "irreconcilable differences" with the rest of the board, has caused Wenger to consider his Arsenal future so Henry feels he must also leave.
Wenger's contract with Arsenal expires at the end of this season. The Frenchman says he will honour the contract but he is unlikely to stay any longer.
In an open letter to fans in the Sun newspaper Henry said: "I respect his [Wenger] decision and honesty but I will be 31 at the end of next season and I cannot take the chance to be there without Arsene Wenger and David Dein.
"David Dein is no longer there and there is no denying the fact this has destabilised the team and the manager."
Henry said because of his age it was a case of now or never for his move away from the Emirates Stadium and he decided that "now" was his best option.
The 29-year-old insisted that nobody had forced him to move and that it was something he had to do.
He said: "Barcelona are a wonderful club steeped in tradition and play beautiful football. I'm sure I will be very happy there."
The Frenchman said the Gunners fans would always have a special place in his heart and thanked them for making him feel welcome.
"I will miss the Arsenal fans dearly, they have supported me through thick and thin," he concluded.
Since joining Arsenal in 1999 Henry has scored 174 goals in 254 appearances.