KEY POINTS:
Thierry Henry undergoes a medical today at the Nou Camp. Though the doctors will no doubt pass the French striker physically fit, science has yet to perfect a sensor which can detect a wrenching of the heart.
Undoubtedly he will be experiencing the symptoms. The Frenchman will have
regrets leaving Arsenal, the club which rescued him from "living hell" - his description of Juventus back in 1999.
But what will affect him even more profoundly is the destruction of that seemingly indissoluble affinity bet-ween two kindred spirits, one of mutual admiration and trust; that which has existed between Arsene Wenger and Henry.
The latest developments in Arsenal's turbulent year represent a defining moment for the Gunners.
They had already lost David Dein, the king-maker who courted Wenger and brought him to Highbury as a virtual unknown, offering him the opportunity to become second only to Sir Alex Ferguson in managerial grandeur in England. One question will be running through the consciousness of all the Arsenal faithful now: is the departure of their captain, a player who in his pomp was capable of exhilarating even opposition supporters, a prelude to the fall of a fragile house of cards?
Henry nearly had his head turned a year ago by Barcelona, after the Gunners' Champions' League final defeat. That itch, after seven years, has proved scratchable.
He eschewed the chance 12 months ago of examining his prowess among Europe's established elite, preferring to provide an inspiration to Wenger's young guns in their first season at the new Emirates Stadium. Many of us felt he had selected the wrong option. He owed himself the opportunity to culminate his career at the summit, among the world's finest mountaineers, not hammering in the crampons for those talented individuals still on the practice gradients.
This time the lure has proved too strong to resist for the sublime technician; the man who reflected all that is best about Arsenal's academy of aesthetics.
Dein and Wenger, Henry reflected last year, "were undeniably the reason why I committed my whole career to Arsenal Football Club". But the former vice-chairman had gone, effectively evicted by his fellow board members in a row over his support for Stan Kroenke, the US billionaire who paid £75 million ($196 million) for a 12 per cent stake in the club. Dein was convinced that Arsenal, like the other members of "The Big Four", required serious foreign investment. Chairman Peter Hill-Wood's position appears to have altered radically, from his instinctive objection to the American's interest in the club, observing that he didn't "want his sort", to the recent observation that "we hope we'll be able to work with him in the future", but all too late. Dein had departed.
Since then, the French striker has noted that Wenger, the man who was his coach at Monaco and whom he deems his "inspiration", has made no commitment to the club beyond his current deal, which expires next year.
Henry concludes: "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. It is now or never for me, and sadly it has to be now."
All but the most myopic of Arsenal supporters will understand Henry's desire to secure an elusive Champions' League medal. They will also appreciate the wisdom of Wenger's preparedness to release Henry, albeit for a relatively meagre £16m (the Tottenham-bound Darren Bent reportedly commands that price, but prolific goalscorer though he is, his name can scarcely be uttered in the same breath as the Frenchman).
While Henry's appetite will be renewed by the move to Spain and his powers will be rejuvenated by a fresh challenge, most supporters will be convinced that they have already witnessed his best. There was much evidence last season, including that splendid Premiership victory at Old Trafford, to suggest that Henry is not indispensable.
The best managers possess the keenest instincts, not only about whom to buy, and which of their nursery to nurture, but when to discard. Wenger's team continued to prosper after Patrick Vieira's exit. It will do so after Henry. What will trouble the Gunners faithful, however, is whether their club could survive the loss of Wenger, too.
There is scarcely a manager blessed with more potential suitors. They are led by Real Madrid, whose president, Ramon Calderon, decides today whether to replace Fabio Capello. If so, Wenger would be seen as a likely successor. Barcelona are also said to covet him. While Wenger's natural diplomacy inhibits him from issuing any kind of public proclamations of discontent, he will not be satisfied by the absence of funds for significant acquisitions while the club repay the debts incurred by building the Emirates Stadium.
His departure would mean far, far more than the usual parting of the ways between club and manager. Not only because he is regarded as a deity in north London thanks to his achievements but also because of his knowledge of, appreciation of, and ability to source the most able young talent, and to educate it in the Arsenal way.
Just as £16m is unlikely to procure anything like the brilliance to replace Henry, so a new Wenger, with all his attributes, cannot be simply summoned.
Suddenly, the club who have come to represent stability and continuity, and have been admired for refusing to sell out to the American dream, appear dreadfully vulnerable. Anyone with an appreciation for football being administered with honour and decency must earnestly hope that is not the case.
- INDEPENDENT
