Henry refuses to rule out replacing Wenger

THIERRY Henry has refused to rule out taking over from Arsene Wenger as manager at Arsenal.

Wenger is under increased pressure to walk away from the Emirates this summer after a dismal run at home and abroad has left them out of the Champions League and off the pace in the race for the top four.

Henry, who is currently cutting his coaching teeth alongside Roberto Martinez as part of the Belgium set-up, admits he remains close to the club where he is the all-time leading scorer but doesn’t yet know if he has what it takes to take on the job.

“It doesn’t depend on me, there are things to be respected, it’s my club of heart but I do not have any right-wings,” he said. “My name is quoted to succeed Wenger, I hear that. But it’s hard for me to talk about it. I have a lot of respect for everything the coach has done. Am I ready? I don’t know and nobody knows, but I also need to learn my job.”

Henry admits he is not yet the finished article in coaching and still has much to learn. “I will not be a consultant all my life, but coaching is not my aim,” he said. “I have not fixed any goal in the head, I will love being a coach and I will do everything for it. But, right now, I’m in learning mode.”

Meanwhile, Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has dismissed media reports suggesting he is looking for a move away from the Premier League club after he lost his place in the starting line-up to Willy Caballero last month.

After several high-profile errors and question marks over his handling under pressure, Bravo was relegated to the bench by manager Pep Guardiola and has made just three FA Cup appearances and not played a league game in the past two months.

“It’s all false, that I’m looking for another place to play and that I want to leave,” said the 33-year-old Chilean. “These are things that are not true. I’m happy in England and so is my family.” – The Independent & Reuters