He said a couple of things after the game on Wednesday that made ears prick up. On the flight home he was apparently talking about how 'we' had to pick ourselves up. That didn't mean as much as some people seemed to think: as a captain speaking to his team, how else would he put things? More significcant, I thought, were his comments about how Ronaldinho and Eto'o didn't really show up and it was only the arrival of Henrik Larsson on the pitch that swung things Barcelona's way. Not exactly bigging up his alleged new teammates, was he?

Anyway, today he is reported as saying, "I hope to stay for as long as I can keep running. I could not face leaving the fans. They are like my family. I hope to finalise all the details today (Friday)."

The suggestion is that he is set to sign a new 4 year contract, for a bit more than £100,000 per week. It'll be the highest Arsenal salary ever, by some way (I guess Sol Campbell's Bosman deal came close, but that's a special case).

So, some will ask, why did he take so long pondering over a new contract?

The truth, as I see it, is that he didn't. He always said that he had no desire to leave Arsenal, but that he wasn't going to even think about it till the end of the season. So the end of the season comes, he thinks about it, and finds it's not so hard a decision. Some will say he should have given the club a boost by signing before the final. But when [i]your[/i] employer offers [i]you[/i] a new contract, do you think about what your decision means for the company, or about what it means for yourself and your family? This is a huge decision that basically will determine the rest of Henry's career, the rest of his life, and no-one had any right to expect him to rush it.

What he does seem to be doing, for which we must applaud him, is getting it sorted as soon as possible after the end of the season. This is important for the sake of new signings and trying to hang onto current players.

Top on the list are Robert Pires and Ashley Cole.

Villarreal have been doing what all Spanish clubs seem to do, claiming that the Pires move is practically a done deal. But Bobby himself says that he's not made any decision, but plans to do so next week. Apparently he has offers from 3 clubs including Villarreal and Arsenal. Perhaps knowing that Henry's staying will help him make up his mind the right way. To move to a relatively small Spanish club for the sake of just one more year would be crazy. Stick around for another year, Bobby, an exciting year with thrilling young players and a spectacular new stadium to play in. This is not the time to be leaving Arsenal. And if you want to leave at the end of next season, do you really think that you'll have fewer or worse options than you do now?

Personally, I'd hate to see Pires leave right now. If only because it'd be such a shame for his last game to have ended so sadly - being forced off early by the sending off of Jens Lehmann.

And according to reports, Ashley Cole has been offered a new deal in a final attempt to keep him at the club. If true, then the Henry news and the raised salary offer (£80,000 a week is, I think, what he wanted - what he said he was promised in the first place) could be enough to persuade him to stay.