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Thierry Henry will make Arsenal return, says Wenger

Arsene Wenger and Thierry Henry enjoyed a fruitful relationship during the striker's first stint at Arsenal © Getty Images

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Arsene Wenger is convinced Thierry Henry will return to Arsenal after his former player announced he would leave current club New York Red Bulls.

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Henry, 37, confirmed on Monday that he will leave the Red Bulls at the end of his contract this month, although he refused to comment on what he would do next after more than four seasons in Major League Soccer.

Henry's decision to leave the Red Bulls has led to suggestions he could make a second comeback for Arsenal, where he spent eight years from 1999-2007 before returning on loan in January 2012, but Wenger feels the striker has yet to make up his mind on his future.

'Building something special'

• Arsene Wenger has again dismissed calls for him to step down as Arsenal manager, instead insisting that his side must show they are building something special against Southampton on Wednesday.
  
  Wenger has been the subject of criticism from frustrated fans in recent weeks, with a banner calling for him to go unveiled during the 1-0 victory against West Brom on Saturday.
  
  However, the Frenchman shrugged off the incident, claiming that the squad are focussed on battling their way up the Premier League table.
  
  "The most important thing is that internally we are very united," he said. "Our job is to be competitive and to fight and that is the way we can do our job, only be being united.
  
  "We are creating something special inside the club but that has to come out through performances and games won. Our job is to win football games and that is what we want to do. That is the best way to unite everybody.
  
  "Before Christmas, what you want always to do is to make sure you are in the pot for the Champions League and that you fight at the top of the league. At the moment we have achieved the first target, but not the second one so we have a battle in front of us to come back in there."

"What I understand is that [Henry] wants to reflect for a while on how he wants to go into his next life," Wenger said. "The only thing I would like to say is that I made him start at the age of 17 in Monaco, he is today 37 so he had 20 years of competitive football and that deserves high respect and congratulations.

"Not only on what he achieved but also on his attitude and his exemplarity [sic] and his focus on football. He has the right to reflect and think of what he wants to do now.

"He is an Arsenal man. It was the best moment certainly of his life and of his career has been experienced here.

"Certainly one day he will come back here. In what role I don't know, that is what he has to think about: what direction he wants to give to his next life."

A former Arsenal star, Henry made 254 Premier League appearances and scored 174 goals during his first stint in north London. He returned to the Emirates on a short-term loan in January 2012, making seven appearances in all competitions and netting twice.

Last week, Henry told l'Equipe he would love to help Arsenal win the Champions League when he does finally hang up his boots.

"Whether I see that from afar or up close is not up to me, but it's sure that I would like to help, because it's my club and as a player I wasn't able to bring them the Champions League," he said.

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