Wenger determined to keep Henry

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed why he would not sell Thierry Henry - even for £50m

(€71m).

Gunners vice-chairman David Dein has said the Highbury club have rejected a £50m bid from Chelsea for Henry in the past few days.

And now Wenger has underlined why the French striker – on the shortlist for World Footballer of the Year – is not available at any price.

Wenger told BBC Five Live’s Sportsweek programme: “I would say no to £50m for one of my stars. When you have the money and not the player anymore it does not help you.

“The target of a club is not a bank full of money, but a good team on the pitch. People can understand when you do not have the money to buy the best, but they can never understand when you sell your best players.

“That is a completely wrong signal to give to anyone, inside or outside the club.”

Chelsea have spent £111m (€157m) on players since their takeover by Roman Abramovich but their extraordinary offer for Henry again shows their ambition seems limitless.

Yet the Gunners have no intention of selling and Dein told the Sunday Mirror: “Roman Abramovich came to Highbury and presented us with a formal offer for him (Henry).

“But we told him the same as we will say to Real Madrid or any other club if they are planning to present an offer to us – Thierry Henry is not for sale.”

And on Henry’s rise to world fame, Wenger added: “Thierry is amazing. A dream you want as a player.

“He says ‘Give me the ball and I can pass you because I have that acceleration to do that’.

“It must be an amazing feeling to be able to do that. Such power.

“He is intelligent and understands everything. Sometimes you say that God has not given you everything, but with Thierry he has been given a lot.

“It is not only talent, it is motivation and intelligence. I would like him to become a real star because that would be an inspiration for the youth as well because there have been people in football who were not an inspiration for kids.

“It is good that (Zinedine) Zidane and Henry have become stars because the lives they lead are good examples.”

Wenger also revealed his feelings about Ferguson and the mind games that are played between the two managers.

He said: “You cannot say you like people you do not know that well. I respect him and maybe if I knew him better I could like him, I do not know.

“I could get to like him, why not? I do not have pre-conceived ideas about anything in life. I believe why not, we share the same passion, football and winning.

“Of course we could have a lot to talk about. But you are never in a situation to exchange views because you are always in a situation when you are very much concerned about a game.”

He added: “When we meet there is even more pressure. There is always something at stake. But now there is a third team involved and it will make it even more interesting, maybe I will let them fight with each other!”

Asked how he reacted when Ferguson made disparaging remarks about Arsenal, Wenger said: “I take no notice of what Sir Alex says. It is all a bit of a game on both sides, you learn to focus on what is important. You learn that you can only influence the quality of your own team and you learn not to consider the negative influences coming from outside.

“It is a game. You know you want to perform well. But you can be influenced sometimes when the nerves are there towards the end of a season.

“We have good communications sometimes when you meet. But one of the problems of this job is that when you meet your opponent in another team you are not always able to talk.

“It is the day of a game and you are concerned about your own team so there is not a great deal of communication.”

Wenger also claims that Arsenal could be his last major management job, and that running a huge club like Real Madrid brings a different sort of pressure.

He said: “I feel a club like Real Madrid is a different job. At Arsenal, with a new stadium, I believe I can help this club become one of the top three or four clubs in the world.

“For me that would be fantastic. At Madrid I know that at the beginning of the season you have to win the championship and the European Cup.

“There is nothing else to do or they sack you. But here you feel you can contribute on the long-term aspects of making this club as big as it can be, and short term you can win trophies.

“I will continue here as long as I feel I can be successful. A manager must push a club forward. I want a new training ground and stadium. I think the finance is in place [for the stadium] – it is 90%.

“We have a fantastic youth set-up with players coming through, I want to be part of pushing this club higher.

“As a manager this could be my last job. I do not feel I have to move in a couple of years.

“The short term is that every week, sometimes every three days, you have an exam. You have to be successful and pass that exam every week.

“That makes you extremely rigorous. You cannot talk and talk and talk, at the end of the season or week you have either won or lost. If you have lost you cannot convince people you have won. That is the reality.”