Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners to Bring in Legend Thierry Henry on Loan? [VIDEO]

English Premier League heavyweights Arsenal could turn to the services of a former Gunner, the club's iconic French striker Thierry Henry, as a last resort, if the club fails to sign a new player in that position when the transfer window re-opens next month. The Gunners' boss, Arsene Wenger, has declined to rule out a possible loan move for his former player in January.

Wenger did say earlier he thought Henry was still good enough to play in the Premier League and, if the move does happen, Arsenal fans could be in for a treat - their former player playing at the Emirates for the first time since he left for Spanish champions Barcelona, in 2007.

In either case, it seems certain now that the north London club will go shopping next month, to find a striker to support Dutchman (and club captain) Robin van Persie. It is believed Wenger will use Henry, 34, as a fall-back option if the club fails to land at least one of their targets; they have been linked with, among others, FC Cologne's German international, Lukas Podolski.

Thierry Henry remains an in-form striker. Although some may argue his current club, the New York Red Bulls, play in a league (the U.S.'s Major League Soccer division) rated inferior to the English league, the fact remains that Henry has bagged 15 goals in 29 games. He may have lost some of his trademark speed but the predatory instincts, it seems, are still alive.

There is another reason the Gunners could look to bring Henry in - money. He is a cost-effective option since the team will not have to pay a transfer fee to acquire his services. In addition, his short-term presence in the team could also be useful, owing to the fact the team will lose the services of Ivorian international Gervinho, who will be unavailable (between January and February) on African Nations Cup duty. The Frenchman could also act as the perfect mentor, as he was for current Arsenal star Theo Walcott, for any young player coming through the ranks.

However, the move may not be as simple as it looks. There is a possibility that Henry might not want to endanger his legacy at Arsenal, which could happen if he were to underperform or not match expected levels. There are also some financial complications that both club and player must consider.

Meanwhile, from a long-term perspective, Arsenal have also targeted Real Madrid's Karim Benzema and FC Twente's Luuk de Jong, according to a Caughtoffside report.

Thierry Daniel Henry, who arrived at Arsenal in 1999 from Italian club Juventus, for an estimated fee of £11 million, has made 369 appearances for the club and recorded a massive tally of 226 goals and 92 assists.