잉글랜드 프리미어리그 최고 스타 중 한명인 티에리 앙리(아스널)가 바르셀로나 유니폼을 입고 스페인 프리메라리가에서 활약하게 됐다.

아스널이 큰 공격자원을 잃었다는 것 뿐 아니라 최고의 주장이 사라진다는 뜻이다.

앙리는 아스널 팬들에게 주장으로, 득점왕으로, 무패 우승을 이끈 영웅으로 기억되고 있다. 아스널의 젊은 선수들은 이제 앙리의 영도력을 더이상 받을 수 없음을 뜻한다.

앙리의 이적은 아르센 웽거 아스널 감독의 불명확한 미래와 관계가 있다. 앙리는 모나코에서 처음 프로생활을 시작했을 때부터 잉글랜드 프리미어리그 활약까지 웽거 감독과 함께했다. 둘은 단순한 선수-감독의 관계 이상으로 정신적 유대관계가 짙다.

프리미어리그에서 앙리의 발자취는 깊다. 프리미어리그 개인 통산 최다골은 앨런 시어러의 226골. 앙리는 8시즌 동안 174골을 터뜨려 3위에 올라 있지만 프리미어리그 역사상 가장 빠른 시간에 역사를 써왔다.

아스널은 지난 1999년 유벤투스에서 앙리를 데려 와 2차례 리그 우승뿐 아니라 FA컵도 3차례나 들어올렸다. 유럽축구연맹(UEFA) 챔피언스리그 결승에도 진출했다.

앞으로 아스널은 앙리같은 수준의 골결정력이 뛰어난 선수는 다시 보기 힘들 것이다.(아마 내 생각에 아약스에서 뛰고 있는 클라스 얀 훈텔라르같은 선수가 아스널에서 뛴다면 앙리와 가장 비슷한 모습을 보이지 않을까 싶다)

앙리는 프리미어리그를 대표하는 최고선수 5명 중 한명으로 꼽힌다(혹자는 3명 중 한명이라고도 하지만). 그는 팬들에게 축구를 보는 즐거움을 마음껏 선사하는 선수 중 한명이다.

대표적으로 포츠머스전서 5-1 대승을 이끌 때의 모습은 누구라도 매료되지 않을 수 없다. 또 그는 다양하고 현란한 기술을 가지고 있다.



질주하면서도 안정적인 드리블 능력을 선보이는 것은 물론 어느 장소에서나 골을 터뜨릴 수 있는 기술도 있다. 뿐만 아니라 동료에게 공을 빼주는 시야도 가졌다. 유일하게 부족한 부분이라면 헤딩이 그다지 신통치 못하다는 점.

아스널팬들이 앞으로 앙리에 대한 기억을 되새길 것이며 앙리 역시 아스널에서의 기억이 강렬할 것이다. 그의 연령대로 비춰봤을 때 아스널이 그가 가장 오랜 시간동안 머문 클럽이 될 것이기 때문이다.

앙리의 이적료는 적은 감이 있다. 토트넘이 대런 벤트를 영입을 추진할 때 찰턴은 앙리의 이적료와 같은 액수를 제시했다. 벤트의 기량이 앙리보다, 아니 앙리의 절반 정도도 미치지 못하는 선수라는 점은 시사하는 바 크다.

물론 앙리가 지난시즌 부상으로 인해 절반을 조금 넘는 경기밖에 나서지 못한 탓이 있지만 다음 시즌 샅부상과 잦은 위경련에서 완벽히 회복해 다시한번 앙리의 대포가 불을 뿜을 것으로 예상되기에 조금은 아쉽다.

이제 아스널은 앙리급에 준하는 공격수를 구하기 위해 동분서주해야 한다. 새 얼굴 영입에 성공, 뛰어난 활약을 펼친다면 다음 시즌 챔피언에 도전할 기틀은 있다. 하지만 그이 빈자리를 채우지 못하면 빅4 위상도 위태롭다.

어째든 프리미어리그는 천재적인 스타플레이어를 한명 잃은 셈이다.



<칼럼 원문>

One of the Premier League's biggest stars is leaving after Thierry Henry agreed to move to Barcelona from Arsenal in a 6million transfer.

Henry is due to sign a four-year contract with the Spanish team, just 12 months after he signed the same length of contract with Arsenal.
　
The Arsenal captain feels it is now or never to accept a move to Barcelona after being wanted by the club for at least the past two years.
　
He has offered more than just one reason for leaving, though, and some are easy to understand, while others are less so.
　
But all in all, what will Henry's move do to both Arsenal and the Premier League
　
Starting with how his transfer will affect Arsenal, it could go one of two ways, depending how key figures at the club decide to deal with it.
　
Henry had such a big influence at Emirates Stadium, that it is easy to assume that Arsenal could easily fail to qualify for the Champions League next season.
　
He was the captain, leading scorer and hero to the fans, and Arsenal's youngsters could decide that they are lost without their leader.

However, what Henry's exit does offer is the chance for someone else to take
　
centre stage, and any player with a level of ambition must surely seize the chance to become the main man at Arsenal.
　
Henry also says that concerns about the future of manager Arsene Wenger were a factor in his decision to leave.
　
Seeing as Henry started his career at Monaco with Wenger and was brought to England by his fellow Frenchman, it is fair to use that as a reason.

Wenger's contract expires next summer and he admits he is unsure whether he should stay after so long in charge of the club.
　
If Wenger does decide to go, then it will lead to the break-up of the
　
Arsenal team, as players like Cesc Fabregas have already said that they will only stay for as long as Wenger stays as manager.

Perhaps the most surprising reason for Henry saying he wants to go, and that it is the right time to go, is David Dein leaving as vice-chairman.

Dein left earlier in the spring after he was forced out by the rest of the
　
Arsenal board for wanting American businessman Stan Kroenke to have a greater role with his money.
　
The cash would certainly come in useful for the club, particularly as Wenger does need to add to his squad, but to say a player is affected by the departure of the vice-chairman is very strange.
　
I cannot think of another example of a player deciding to leave a club because the vice-chairman has gone.
　
Quite simply I do not feel anybody would deny Henry the chance to play for Barcelona, particularly after spending eight years at Arsenal.
　
In that time, he has become the club's record scorer with 226 goals 174 of those in the Premier League and he has been the best player in England for the past few seasons.
　
What should also be remembered is the fact that Arsenal are actually making a profit on Henry, despite his age and the fact he has spent so long at the same club.
　
Depending on how you look at it, you could say that Barcelona are getting a bargain for 6million, with reports suggesting Tottenham will pay roughly the same amount for Charlton's Darren Bent, who is not half the player Henry is.

Yet 6million is still a great price for a player who is 30 in August and missed over half of Arsenal's games in the Premier League last season.
　
There have been fears that Henry has been in danger of burning out in recent seasons because of all of the games he has played, so there is no guarantee he will be at his best next season once he has recovered from groin and stomach injuries.

The fact is that Arsenal paid ?0.5million to sign Henry from Juventus in 1999. Since then, the club have twice won the Premier League, won the FA Cup three times and also reached the final of the Champions League.

Henry has played a major part in helping the club win these trophies and now Arsenal are also making a profit of.

5million, so purely from a black-and-white, financial sense, it is a superb deal for the club.
　
And for 6million, Arsenal could sign the type of striker they need to finish off all the chances they did create last season, even when Henry was not playing.
　
Robin van Persie, if he stays fit, is an excellent prospect and he does have the potential to have the same time of impact as Henry.

What Arsenal need is someone in the mould of Ruud van Nistelrooy and the man they could go for is Ajax striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar, who scores goals for fun and would slot perfectly into the Arsenal team.

For Arsenal, it will be make or break. Signing a top striker could easily see them become champions next season, but allowing Henry's sale to have a negative impact could just as easily see them miss out on a place in the top four.
　
But Henry's move to Spain will not just affect Arsenal, it will also be a sad day for the Premier League as he is definitely in the top five players to have played in the league ?some would say top three, others the best.

He is one of the few players that even opposition supporters enjoy watching

Portsmouth once gave him a standing ovation at Fratton Park after he had helped Arsenal win 5-1!
　
Henry has so many skills that a player of his class will definitely be missed ?he was brilliant running with the ball, could score from all angles and could pick out a pass from anywhere.
　
Perhaps the only thing he could not do effectively was head the ball!
　
There is no doubt the Premier League is losing one of its genuine star players, but his departure opens up the chance for a new star to come to the fore.
　
Manchester United have Nani and Anderson, who are exciting prospects, then there is the talk that maybe Fernando Torres could move to the Premier League.
　
If any of these players can be just half as good as Henry has been, then perhaps the Frenchman will not be missed as much as we currently fear he will be.