Henry to Barcelona speculation fuelled by the Spanish press

They're at it already. This mornings El Mundo Deportivo has a big story about how Thierry Henry is Barcelona's principal target for the summer. They quote a radio station saying that Joan Laporta said at a recent lunch 'I am closing the signing of Henry'.

Apparently Barcelona, being the great and generous sporting club...no, wait, they're more than a club, I forgot that, erm..anyway, they're willing to forgive Thierry's 'stampede' last summer when everything had been sorted and will do him the honour of signing him once he gives his word that he won't change his mind again. Once he does that then they'll negotiate with Arsenal.

They want a fearsome foursome up front next season - Henry, Ronaldinho, Eto'o and Messi.

They say that Henry has lost the dressing room because some of his teammates reckon he's been faking his injuries and could have played on for the rest of the season. As well as that he's fallen out with Arsene Wenger because the manager hasn't made the signings he promised he would.

Oh, and it was Arsene Wenger who made Henry stay last summer because obviously Thierry is unable to make up his own mind.

It is funny how they don't manage to use any quotes from Thierry from the last couple of months. This quote from early April, for example:

I don't know what to say any more or what to do - maybe having a T-shirt on me saying I'm staying at Arsenal and walking around London is the only thing I can do. I don't know how many times I can come out and say I'm staying at Arsenal - it's boring. If everybody wants to talk I can only come out and say I'm staying here. I can only say one thing so many times, and still people comment about it and say whatever they want to say.

Expect this story to get picked up by the English papers and websites but it's worth repeating that their stories are generally fiction and designed to unsettle players and clubs. I don't think it'll work with Henry and Arsenal this summer.

Update: And here comes Sky Sports on the outside (and the article doesn't claim negotiations with Arsenal are underway). They just invent their own stuff too.