Red Bull target Thierry Henry’s exit from Barcelona is official. Will the French striker’s arrival in New York be far behind?
“Barcelona director general Joan Oliver has said that the club has agreed the exits of Yaya Toure and Thierry Henry,” Barcelona said in an official club statement. “But at the moment the final moves are in their hands.”
The 32-year-old Henry helped lead Barcelona to a historic sextuple in 2009, one that including the Champions League title. But in his third and most recent la Liga season, he struggled for playing time at the talent-rich club, scoring just four goals.
The fourth year of his contract was not to expire until a year from this month, but getting out of that final season was the primary benefit for Barcelona. But an ancillary benefit might also be fostering goodwill and solid working arrangements with MLS, a league that the team has shown interest in. Their desire to buy into the league was first reported by the Post.
Pep Guardiola regularly left Henry on his bench last season, and Barcelona’s big-money purchase of Spain striker David Villa would only create a further logjam at the position.
“It was a special position with the player and we have accepted,” Oliver was quoted as saying by BBC. “For Barca it is not a bad agreement because we avoid paying him next season.”