Wenger rules out Henry loan move

Arsene Wenger has confirmed record goalscorer Thierry Henry will not be returning to Arsenal on loan this month.



The 35-year-old scored 228 goals in 337 appearances for the Gunners and now plies his trade with New York Red Bulls in the United States.



Henry returned to the Emirates Stadium on a short-term loan this time last year and had been lined up for a similar move this January.



However, after much talk, Wenger has revealed he will not be returning to the club.



"I think he goes away somewhere," the Arsenal boss said after the 1-1 draw at Southampton.



"He is not ready, he has just come back from holiday anyway. At the moment we are not on that case."



Asked for clarification, he said: "No [it is not happening]".

Henry could join Arsenal for third spell - Wenger

Arsene Wenger said he is not ruling out former striker Thierry Henry having a third spell at Arsenal.

Henry has scored 228 goals in 377 games for Arsenal 

The 35-year-old has been training at the Gunners' Hertfordshire base to maintain fitness following the end of his MLS season with New York Red Bulls.



Henry returned on loan last year, making four appearances and extending his club record goal tally to 228.



Wenger said: "Will I sign him again in January? I don't rule it out. I don't know if he is interested. He is sharp."



Wenger said Henry's arrival could again compensate for the absence of Ivory Coast forward Gervinho at the start of 2013.

He said: "We will lose Gervinho again as they are playing in the African Cup of Nations two years in a row, so we will be confronted with a shortage particularly if [striker] Marouane Chamakh should go. I cannot stand in his way, then we will be short."



Wenger added: "You know what Thierry gives you; he gives you hope, especially when he comes on, that is the most important thing.



"Thierry is a communicator, an extrovert, very intelligent. He can only give good advice to players because he was in their position when he arrived here.



"I think now this team has an exceptionally good character. There are not many flashy boys. What is the most important thing is not whether you are an extrovert, but what it means to you to do well, your job, your will to win."

Henry hopes Van Persie stays

Thierry Henry is hoping Robin van Persie will stay at Arsenal, but insists life will go on if his former team-mate leaves the Emirates Stadium.



Van Persie's long-term future in North London appears uncertain after he confirmed earlier this month that he will not be signing an extension to his contract, which expires next year.



Manchester City, Manchester United and Juventus are all keen on the striker, but no clubs have yet matched Arsenal's valuation of their captain.



Henry left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2007, before returning for a loan spell earlier this year, while the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri have also been high-profile departures from the club in recent seasons.



If the Netherlands international follows the lead of several of his former colleagues, Henry remains confident that the Gunners can still challenge for honours.



"We hope it stays, and that's the way it is," Henry told Sky Sports News. "I don't know exactly what is happening but as an Arsenal fan I want him to stay.



"He is still an Arsenal player and the boss has to deal with it."



When asked about Van Persie stating he will not sign a new contract, Henry replied: "I've got nothing to say about that, you will not get me to be one of the guys talking about the club and the player.



"I just want Arsenal to do well. Robin will do what he will do and we'll see.



"When I left, everybody cried, but then the year after they went on a run of being eight points ahead. Everyone comes and goes."

Red Bulls' Thierry Henry: Rafa is the Boss

Rafa Marquez is the biggest lightning rod on the Red Bulls’ roster, and arguably the most controversial player they have. But in the wake of a stellar stint as a centerback in Sunday’s 3-2 win over archrival D.C. United, captain Thierry Henry said his friend and fellow Designated Player is misunderstood.



“Something that people didn’t mention after the game against D.C. When Rafa plays at the back, it’s another story,” Henry said today. “I know a lot of the (fans and writers) don’t like him too much, but watch the game.”



Marquez moved back from midfield to replace injured Swedish international Markus Holgersson, and had a calming influence on the back line and in possession.



“Rafa is the boss, for me. He just showed it. You’ve got to respect that,’’ said Henry. “Things happen on the field sometime, to me, a lot of players. But I invite people to watch the game that he played on Sunday. People didn’t talk a lot about it.



“He calms everyone down at the back. Always when there is chaos, he puts the ball down, passes it around on the ground instead of kicking it in the stands and give it back to D.C. In basketball, they call that a rebound. You have the ball again, and 10 times per half it’s another story than kicking it in the stands and losing it. For me, that’s a big deal.”



“We know he played there because some people were missing but I think people misunderstand Rafa sometimes. He’s a great person, he’s a competitor like I can be sometimes you can go over the edge but he’s a great guy. I hope people understand how valuable he is for us.”



Marquez is the captain of the Mexican National Team, the archrival of the U.S. But he hasn’t been able to replicate his El Tri form while with the Red Bulls, making mistakes on the field and mistakes in judgment in dealing with teammates.



The tempestuous Marquez has also picked up nine yellow cards, and served three suspensions since he last season’s playoffs. But when Henry was asked why he thought Marquez was misunderstood, he declined to guess.



“I don’t know,’’ Henry said. “I understand him. I’m not in the mind of other people, I understand him.”