Former Barcelona President Calls for Arsenal to Gamble on Thierry Henry as Wenger Successor

Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has called on Arsenal to replicate what the Blaugrana did with Pep Guardiola and hire Thierry Henry as Arsene Wenger's eventual successor.

Laporta was in charge of Barcelona between 2003 and 2010, and was the one to make the decision on hiring Guardiola (who had been in charge of Barcelona's reserves beforehand) as the manager of the first team in 2008.

And now, with Arsenal's apparent club crisis supposedly in full swing, he's claimed the club should put their faith in Thierry Henry - a fan favourite and outright legend at the Emirates Stadium.

"The same requirements we were appreciating in Pep Guardiola when we decided to put him as a coach of the first team, Thierry has many of them," Laporta told the Telegraph.

"I know that Thierry loves Arsenal, he loves them. He is a gentleman and a very serious guy, and a very responsible guy. 

"If he wants to become a coach and more specifically wants to coach Arsenal, then it is because he is convinced he will do it very well because he is looking for excellence all the time – just as when he was a player."

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"He knows football, as one of the best players in the world. These kinds of people, like Pep Guardiola and Johan Cruyff, they know very well football.

"They don't need the extended period maybe that other coaches need to be a great coach. He knows Arsenal, the supporters, the club and he's a guy that deserves everything he would like to achieve. I believe he could be a very good coach. For him, with his reputation, it's not acceptable to fail."

Whether or not Henry would go for such a move in his first managerial role remains to be seen, but there will be few Arsenal fans against the idea.