Premier League: 5 January Transfers That Won't Happen

4. Thierry Henry To Arsenal

As much as I, and surely every Arsenal fan, would love to see him return for a third stint at a club which idolises him, this deal looks more unlikely with every passing day. While there is a precedent for MLS players playing abroad during the winter period when their season has finished, such as Landon Donovan's successful loan moves to Everton, there is also a negative side to it. There is a reason we have a break between seasons; players need to rest. David Beckham's last loan from LA Galaxy to AC Milan ended in disaster when he suffered a major knee injury. I daresay that NY Red Bulls wouldn't lend him again, not only out of fear that one of their star players might suffer from burnout, but also because they might feel that if anything, it's just plain cheeky. Arsenal do not co-own the player (which for some reason actually exists in Italian football), and unless they pay a substantial loan fee, the risk outweighs the reward for Red Bulls, who are well within their right to want to protect one of their best assets from anything detrimental to his well-being. Sorry Gunners, but not again. On the upside, David Villa is being named as a target for every club in the league, from United to Swansea, although the odds of that are also rather slim in my book.
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English undergraduate, betting man and football fanatic with more opinions than Joey Barton. Hails from Manchester-ish. Occasionally blogs at http://rionbarker.wordpress.com/ Football Manager addict, household FIFA champion, and other titles I shouldn't be proud of.