By DAN KARELL
Though there’s been no clear indications from the man himself, it’s looking more and more likely that this season will be the last for Thierry Henry in a New York Red Bulls uniform.
According to an SI.com report, there is “zero chance” that Henry will sign an extension with the Red Bulls after the conclusion of the 2014 MLS season. At 37 years old, Henry is on the precipice of retirement, and plenty of people have speculated that he could finish out his career with the club he’s most associated with, Arsenal.
The report, which cites a single unnamed source, states that part of the reason Henry won’t stay with the club is because Red Bull GMBH cut back on expenditures on their soccer properties outside of Europe. With falling revenues and a focus on teams closer to Red Bull headquarters in Austria, the report adds that the organization would even be willing to sell the New York Red Bulls if an offer came in at the right price.
The SI.com source claimed that if a buyer bid $300 million for the Red Bulls and their arena, Red Bull in Austria would finalize the deal “within 48 hours.” The club even were in talks in the past, the report states, to selling to a New Jersey-based investor group and then to Manchester City before the latter partnered with the New York Yankees and were awarded an expansion franchise in May 2013 for New York City FC.
Last August, SI.com reported that “some within the league are starting to doubt whether Red Bull will still be involved in MLS 10 years from now.”
For the fourth consecutive transfer window, the Red Bulls failed to sign a third Designated Player, despite seemingly having the resources and setting to be able to land a high-profile star willing to come stateside.
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What do you think of this report? Would you be surprised if Henry left the Red Bulls, or feel it is inevitable? Do you see Red Bull selling the club within the next ten years?
Share your thoughts below.