Henry to decide Arsenal future before World Cup

LONDON, Mar 31 (Reuters) Arsenal captain and striker Thierry Henry says he will decide his future before the World Cup kicks off on June 9.

Henry, who has a contract with the Premier League club until the end of next season, has been repeatedly linked with a move to Spanish football, either with Barcelona or Real Madrid.

''At the end of the season we are going to have to take a decision. It will be done before the World Cup, that's for sure,'' the 28-year-old told Arsenal TV Online.

''My main concern right now is to finish in the top four, because it's vital for the club and anything that is going to happen at the club next, and to concentrate on winning the Champions League.'' Henry, who has helped Arsenal to a 2-0 first leg lead over Juventus in their Champions League quarter-final, said money was not a sticking point in the negotiations over a new contract.

''People were talking about money but I think people should know by now I am not someone who thinks about the money before the game,'' he said.

''That is why, when I talked about sporting ambitions, I was talking about the pitch and nothing else.'' Henry, who joined from Juventus in 1999 and became the club's record goalscorer earlier this season, has been offered a five-year deal which club chairman Peter Hill-Wood described in January as ''fantastic.'' The Frenchman said in January that he wanted to stay at the club but has indicated his final decision will depend on how ambitious he believes Arsenal are about the future.

Sixth in the Premier League, two places short of a slot in the Champions League qualifiers, Arsenal will leave Highbury for their new Emirates Stadium nearby next season.

REUTERS DH RAI2129