THIERRY HENRY has called on Arsenal to show that they match his ambition before he signs a new contract. The France forward has pledged his future to the club but has yet to put pen to paper after initial talks last week.
Arsenal are prepared to make Henry the highest-paid player in their history, offering him a new five-year contract worth £120,000 a week, but he insists that his reticence is not down to money. As he prepares to commit the rest of his career to the club, the 28-year-old is seeking reassurance that they will be able to compete with Chelsea, urging his employers to strengthen the existing squad and keep hold of prized assets such as Ashley Cole.
Arsenal did that last week with the £10 million signings of Vassiriki Abou Diaby and Emmanuel Adebayor, while a £12 million deal has been done to take Theo Walcott from Southampton, but Henry expects even more.
“It’s important that Arsenal has the same sporting ambition as me,” he said. “I repeat, there is every possibility that I will sign a new contract, but whatever happens the decision will not be based on wages.
“I don’t think we’re in the same category as other clubs. If we’re talking about money, Arsenal is not one of the bigger spenders. A lot of teams are ahead of us, but it’s important to keep Cole. The departure of Patrick (Vieira) did not make things any easier. The board is there to build a competitive team.”
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Henry also admitted for the first time that he considered leaving Arsenal for Barcelona, but changed his mind because of his special relationship with the club’s supporters. “Since the beginning of the season there has been non-stop speculation about my future and I asked myself a lot of questions at Christmas time,” he said.
“Of course I thought about leaving, but on reflection I wanted to say where I stood for the fans’ sake. We have started talking, but very briefly. There are many matches to play and I don’t know when we will resume negotiations. We’re at the first stage, but I am here, I am waiting.”
With Arsenal 24 points behind Chelsea in the Barclays Premiership, Henry is focusing on success in cup competitions, especially the Champions League. “Without being malicious, it would take a catastrophe so that Chelsea is not champion this season,” he said. “We hope to do well in the FA Cup, a competition in which we often have success, and in the League Cup, where we’ve never got very far. Then there is the Champions League. Deep down I would love to win the Champions League.”
While Henry considers his future, Diaby, the French midfield player who arrived last week from Auxerre, had no doubts about signing for Arsenal. Such was the 19-year-old’s conviction over the move that he turned down a higher offer from Chelsea because of his desire to work under a fellow Frenchman, Arsène Wenger.
“Chelsea had contacted me before I moved here, but the fact that Arsenal have a French manager means a lot to me,” Diaby said. “Also, the idea of there being more French players at this club was much more attractive. I thought to myself that this is the best place to be and the French lads will help me to settle quickly. I didn’t need to ask anyone about the move. It is a great feeling to be so warmly welcomed by the other players.”
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Diaby will not be in the squad to face Everton tomorrow but hopes to feature before too long. “Wenger has talked to me about playing this season but I know it is up to me to show that I have the ability to play for Arsenal,” he said. “I hope that by working hard with the manager and the coaching staff I will be able to show them what I am capable of.”