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Henry's Agent Furiously Denies France Football's Barca Claims

Henry's Agent Furiously Denies France Football's Barca Claims The management group of Arsenal striker Thierry Henry have angrily denounced reports from France that the French ace has agreed a provisional three-year contract with Barcelona.


France Football magazine claims that Henry's agent met with Barca's sporting director Txiki Beguiristain last week.

But Jeff Weston, from the SEM Group that represents Henry's interests, told BBC Sport: "No such meeting took place. That is absolute rubbish.

"There's never been any question of him not being at Arsenal next season."

The 29-year-old striker signed a new four-year contract with the Gunners a year ago.

However, speculation that Henry's love affair with Arsenal and London was coming to an end heightened last week when he said he was flattered by interest from AC Milan but stressed: "I am an Arsenal player at the moment."

Both Milan and Barcelona have both publicly stated they are interested in the player, who is closely associated with Gunners manager Arsene Wenger.

France Football is claiming that Henry's agent Jerome Anderson has agreed a three-year deal with Barca worth 10 million euros (£6.78 million) per season, with the option of a fourth year.

"It is all just media speculation, as it was last year, and the year before," Weston said of the latest reports.

And Anderson is so furious with the report that he is "seeking legal advice against France Football".

In a statement, Anderson categorically denies the magazine's claims, saying: "No meetings have ever taken place between Jerome Anderson and Barcelona in France or anywhere else, and Jerome Anderson will be seeking legal advice against France Football."

Henry was also quoted as saying he had been "devastated" by the departure from the Arsenal board of vice-chairman David Dein following a difference of opinion with fellow directors over an increased involvement in the club of American businessman Stan Kroenke.

"The bosses have been unsettled and a lot of players at the club have been unsettled," he said, adding: "Although no-one is bigger than the club, Arsene Wenger and Mr Dein are really close to being Arsenal.

"So if you ask me if there was one person on the board I would not like to see leaving, I would have said Mr Dein.

"Unfortunately it is out of my hands. I don't agree with what has happened but sometimes that's the way things are. We just have to move on."

Barca were widely expected to sign Henry last summer, but the player committed himself to Arsenal, signing a new contract with the Gunners and declaring it would take him to the end of his career.

Nevertheless, Beguiristain has been quoted in the English media as saying that Barca continue to monitor Henry's situation.

"If he has the desire to play here, then we can see if it's going to happen or not," Beguiristain told the Sunday Express.

"Barcelona remains the same. It is the perfect place for players who want to come here. I always say the same thing - it's down to the players to decide."

Henry repeatedly said he was happy at Arsenal last season, and expressed frustration that speculative stories about a possible transfer continued to appear in spite of his declared commitment to the Gunners.

The latest statement from his management group and agent, as well as comments from Arsene Wenger in the last 48 hours about his own position at the club and his determinatrion to lead his promising young team to honours next season, will have done much to reassure Arsenal fans.