Ex-Arsenal director has now revealed the real reason why Thierry Henry was sold by Arsene Wenger

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Thierry Henry is Arsenal’s greatest-ever player.

The legendary Frenchman is one of the biggest reasons why the Gunners were so successful during his time at Highbury all those years ago.

Arsene Wenger worked his magic and turned Henry into the best player in the Premier League. Defenders were absolutely terrified of him.

However, in 2007, Henry left Arsenal and joined Barcelona. Some new information about that move has now come to light.

The real reason why Arsenal sold Thierry Henry

Henry spent eight years at Arsenal after joining the club in 1999.

The Frenchman was always viewed as a winger during his time at Juventus and in the national team, but Wenger decided very early that he was going to play through the middle.

That decision changed Henry’s career and made him an Arsenal legend and one of the best players of all time. He dominated his role and achieved immense success.

In 2007, after a lot of speculation surrounding his future, Henry left Arsenal and moved to Spain, where he joined Barcelona.

The legendary striker was 29 at the time, and Arsenal fans were desperate for him to stay at the club until the end of his career.

However, the decision was made then, and the real reason behind that has now come out.

Former Arsenal Managing Director Keith Edelman, who was at the club when Henry left, has revealed that the Gunners decided to sell him because he was ‘on the downward trap’.

He told The Sun: “The reason Thierry moved on was because he was losing his speed. His game was basically all about speed. And if you lose your speed, then you’re dead.

“So, we got money for him despite the fact that he was on the downward trap.

“It’s like Kevin De Bruyne. Would you have been better to sell him for more money at the end of last year? Or, keep him and risk that he’d keep going this season?”

Thierry Henry’s stats after leaving Arsenal

Saying that Henry’s ‘game was basically all about speed’ is not the right assessment at all.

Yes, the legendary Frenchman’s pace scared defenders, but there was a lot more to his game than just that. If Arsenal only sold him because of that, they made a big mistake.

Henry’s stats after leaving Arsenal prove that.

Henry scored 101 goals and provided 67 assists in 256 games following his Arsenal exit. He averaged a goal or an assist every 119 minutes, which is just exceptional.

Edelman was at Arsenal when Henry left, so there must be some truth to his claim above.

We think the Gunners got it all wrong – selling Henry because they thought he was on the ‘downward trap’ was a ludicrous decision.