Wenger's future in the balance as Henry moves

By Trevor Huggins

LONDON (Reuters) - Thierry Henry has delivered a devastating double blow to Arsenal by choosing to join Barcelona and indicating that manager Arsene Wenger could also follow him out of the club next year.

In comments to French and British newspapers on Saturday, Henry made it clear his exit was only the latest repercussion of a boardroom row which led to the departure of director David Dein in April.

Dein was linked with the growing shareholding of U.S. tycoon Stan Kroenke and was subsequently frozen out by the rest of the board, who said they did not want a takeover.

More than just a skilled operator in the football business, Dein was close to the players and to Wenger, with whom he had transformed the club since the Frenchman arrived in 1996.

If it would have been tough to imagine Arsenal without Dein or Henry a few months ago, the prospect of losing Wenger is one to chill Arsenal fans to the bone.

Wenger has landed three league titles and four FA Cups with Arsenal and took them to the 2006 Champions League final, losing 2-1 to Barcelona, with their swashbuckling brand of passing football.

Asked about his future in the wake of Dein's exit, Wenger would only commit to seeing out a contract that expires at the end of next season.

Henry has now increased that uncertainty by saying the Dein affair "has destabilised the team and the manager" and that he would not risk being at the club without Wenger in 2008.