Thierry Henry is on the verge of returning to Arsenal, with manager Arsene Wenger reported to have offered the club legend a two-month loan deal.

Wenger has been weighing up a move for the Gunners’ record goalscorer, who scored 226 goal in 370 appearances, with speculation rife that the paperwork will be signed before New Year’s Day.

New York Red Bulls star Henry would be available for eight Premier League matches including those against Manchester United and Tottenham, plus the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg clash with AC Milan.

Henry, who has been training with the Gunners to keep his fitness levels up, would provide another attacking option during a busy period when Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho will be on African Cup of Nations duty.

Asked about the possibility of a deal, former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn believes Henry’s signing would provide a huge lift to the club.

“I hope everything works out as everyone is expecting,” Winterburn told Sky Sports News.

“It’s terrific news for supporters of Arsenal. Thierry Henry is a winner. If he can make that rub off on players around him it can only be good for them.

“I hope everything fits into place.”

Despite his enthusiasm to see the Frenchman back in Arsenal colours, Winterburn admitted Henry’s arrival would be something of a gamble.

“If it works out well it will be a terrific move by Arsene Wenger, but on the flip-side if it doesn’t work out well people will say ‘why didn’t he go out and get a world-class current striker?’

“Will he play in that central role and maybe Robin van Persie move out to the left? Van Persie is the top man at Arsenal at this time. There are a lot of questions to answer butArsenal would be delighted to have him back for this short time.”

John Terry proud to be one of the few one-club men Read more

Chelsea captain John Terry expects to end his career as a one-club man – but hinted he may go elsewhere to fulfil his managerial ambitions.

The 31-year-old is the most successful captain in the Blues’ history and is fifth in the club’s all-time appearance list.

Terry has been with Chelsea since the age of 14 and, aside from a brief loan stint at Nottingham Forest, has played his entire career with the west Londoners.

“For me, you don’t see (one-club players) in this day and age,” the controversial Terry said.

“You see a couple of the Man United lads and Stevie G (Steven Gerrard) at Liverpool, but other than that you couldn’t count five people on your hand.

“It is a rare breed and I am really proud to have spent my whole career here.

“I have been fortunate enough to start at a very young age and to see different managers come in, big managers, and for me to keep improving.

“One because I have wanted to and secondly because I see this as my club and always will.

“When I finish playing I want to come back to Stamford Bridge and bring my kids to watch games and things like that.

“For me, I am really proud to be at one club and no other club.

“I could never see myself in another shirt anyway.”

While the Barking-born defender does not foresee a move away from Stamford Bridge, he is already looking to the future and a career in management.

Terry has previously revealed his ambition to manage Chelsea but intimated that he may hone his skills elsewhere.

“I have learnt over the years from managers I’ve had and I have worked out [training] sessions from the last seven or eight years,” he said.

“I have got stacks and stacks at home. It is just a case of putting it into my way.

“Dennis [Wise] said about having your own people within and it is so important if you are a manager that you are controlling everything.

“It is all or nothing for me and if I don’t get the chance to take the reins on everything, that would probably make my mind up whether I do take a job if I get the opportunity.”

Henry, Podolski would boost Arsenal: Mertesacker

Thierry Henry, training with his former club Arsenal, would fit right back into the team according to German defender Per Mertesacker who says the club should also consider signing compatriot Lukas Podolski.

There were widespread reports in the British media on Thursday that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has decided to re-sign Henry, the club’s record goalscorer and former skipper, on a two-month loan deal from New York Red Bulls when the transfer window opens on Sunday.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger poised to offer Thierry Henry two-month loan deal

The prospect of Thierry Henry returning to Arsenal has moved a further step forward, with the club now poised to offer their record goalscorer a contract until the beginning of March.

Henry is back in London following a short holiday in Mexico and is understood to have held talks on Wednesday with Arsène Wenger, who has intimated that he would like his former captain to help ease the burden on Robin van Persie and provide cover for Gervinho during the African Cup of Nations.

No formal agreement has yet been reached and, while Henry is mindful that he does not want to risk tarnishing his legacy, there is growing optimism at Arsenal that a deal can be done.

As of Wednesday night, club sources were stressing that the situation is still under consideration, while the New York Red Bulls, who would have to agree any loan deal, have yet to receive any contact from either Henry or Arsenal.

Henry was at the Emirates to watch Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday and is expected to rejoin training with the squad this week.

The Major League Soccer season restarts on March 10, with Henry due back in pre-season training with the Red Bulls on Jan 16.

Wenger wants the situation resolved by the beginning of January, meaning that, in theory, Henry could feature in thePremier League against Fulham next Monday. If any agreement is reached, the more realistic date for his comeback would be in the FA Cup against Leeds on Jan 9.

The prospect of Henry returning has certainly excited the Arsenal squad, with Per Mertesacker on Wednesday outlining just how impressive the 34-year-old has been in training.

“He is playing very, very good,” said Mertesacker. “I am very happy to play against him in training and it is a great experience. He is a great opportunity for us but I’m not the manager. I couldn’t make a decision on what is possible for him or for us.

“In training he shows his class and to have him with us is great because he shows his attitude and his experience. He still has the same attitude he showed in a lot of games at Arsenal.”

Mertesacker has also provided a ringing endorsement of Lukas Podolski, his Germany team-mate and one of Wenger’s main targets in the January transfer window.

Podolski and Mertesacker have both been regulars in the emerging Germany team who reached both the final of Euro 2008 and the semi-final of the 2010 World Cup, with Wenger increasingly looking to the Bundesliga as he seeks value in the transfer market.

Mario Gotze, the Borussia Dortmund winger, is another player who Arsenal are tracking, although Podolski has been identified as someone who can function in Gervinho’s position to the left of a main striker and in the central role that is occupied by VanPersie.

With Van Persie presently unwilling to extend a contract which expires in 2013, Wenger will be acutely aware of the need both to recruit a potential long-term replacement and have cover in his first-team squad to ease some of the immediate burden on his captain.

With 43 goals in his 95 Germany caps, Podolski has an outstanding international record and has been in excellent form so far this season for Cologne, scoring 14 times in 15 Bundesliga games.

Like Van Persie, his contract expires in 2013, with Cologne sporting director Volker Finke having indicated that he will be sold if he does not extend his deal.

Cologne are mid-table in the Bundesliga and unlikely to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Wenger has publicly played down the prospect of signing Podolski but, according to club sources, he is among the players being actively considered and scouted.

Mertesacker said that he speaks regularly on the phone with Podolski.

“He is a great player,” said Mertesacker of the Poland-born forward. He scores a lot of goals. He’s a good striker with a very good finish. His left foot is unbelievable. He is powerful as well. The Premier League is a little different from the Bundesliga, but you get used to everything.”

Wenger has a transfer fund of around £50 million, although that includes wages and potential new contracts over the next year for Van Persie and Theo Walcott.

At 26, Podolski is entering the prime of his career but his contract situation means that he would be valued at around £18 million and so would fall within Arsenal’s price-range.

Chelsea should brace themselves for a bid from Barcelona for their new midfield enforcer Oriol Romeu.

Andre Villas-Boas only signed the 20-year-old in the summer from the Catalan club but they inserted a number of buy-back clauses in the deal that cost Chelsea just £5m.

The La Liga side can buy the midfield anchorman back for £10m during 2012 or £15m the following year but, contrary to some reports earlier in the season, Chelsea must agree to any deal.

Barca boss Pep Guardiola is believed to be interested in taking the youngster back to the Nou Camp, according to Spanish publication Marca, as Seydou Keita is set to leave the club at the end of the season in search of regular first-team football.

Guardiola, who was reluctant to let sell the prospect in the first place, has been impressed by the form shown by the Spain Under-21 international, who has replaced John Obi-Mikel as the defensive shield.

Villas-Boas will be desperate to hold on to Romeu, one of the few players that have impressed since his arrival, after he tried to sign last season while boss at Porto.

Wenger expects more league title upsets

Arsene Wenger expects more twists at the top of the Premier League this season after blaming his players for dropping points in a 1-1 against Wolves.

Arsenal were left frustrated at the Emirates Stadium after Gervinho’s opener was cancelled out by Steven Fletcher, with the visitors holding on despite Nenad Milijas’s dismissal.

It meant Arsenal missed the opportunity to climb back into the Champions League places following Chelsea’s draw against Fulham the previous day.

The result also left them 12 points off the lead.

“There are going to be a lot of twists and turns, but unfortunately we could not take advantage of that, which is the real frustrating thing,” said the Frenchman.

“When you have the luck of the results and you play the following day, you can take advantage of it. That is where the worrying thing is because in the season you have to take your opportunities.”

Too comfortable
Arsenal looked set to record a straightforward win when Gervinho was played through and rounded goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey before finishing.

But Fletcher levelled with a header before the interval, diverting Stephen Hunt’s deflected shot into the bottom corner of the net.

The hosts had a penalty appeal turned down by referee Stuart Attwell when Christophe Berra appeared to block Laurent Koscielny’s cross with his arm.

Malouda sparks Chelsea exit talk

Florent Malouda has threatened to leave Stamford Bridge if he is not given more playing time by Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas, with Paris Saint Germain looming as a possible destination.

Malouda has been used predominantly as a substitute since the arrival of Juan Mata last summer, managing just 15 appearances in all competitions this season.

Meanwhile, former Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti has been touted as a possible replacement for Antoine Kombouare at PSG, leaving many to speculate Malouda is set to re-unite with his previous boss.

“I’m not getting enough playing time,” Malouda is quoted as saying in the English press. “It’s too limited for the ambitions I have. I can’t be happy with that. If it is necessary, I will leave.”

Malouda, though, laughed off reports he will move to big-spending Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala if he decides to leave Chelsea in January.

“I couldn’t even manage to pronounce the name of this team,” he said. “I don’t know from where these rumours come, when they don’t have any base in reality.

“Me, I am someone who prefers transparency. I don’t have anything to hide, so I’m telling you the truth.”