Arsenal News: Wenger Smart to Target Henry and Bridge as Short-Term Solutions

When in doubt, trust Arsene Wenger.

That motto has helped the gooniest of Gooners persevere through times good and bad for Arsenal over the years.

And it will prove just as fruitful if Wenger does indeed bring Thierry Henry and Wayne Bridge aboard on loan during the January transfer window.

According to The Daily Mail, the Gunners boss is strongly considering a loan deal with New York Red Bulls of MLS for Henry, Arsenal's all-time leading goal scorer, and could be in the running to borrow Bridge, who's somewhat mysteriously fallen out of favor with Roberto Mancini at Manchester City.

At this point, a short-term deal for Henry is an absolute no-brainer. Wenger and Henry still share a close relationship, which dates back to their days as manager and player at Monaco in the mid-90s. The pair prospered upon their reunion at Arsenal, winning three English Premier League titles, four FA Cups and finishing runner-up in a number of other competitions, including the UEFA Champions League.

Arsenal haven't won a single trophy since Henry's departure and while his return would hardly ensure glory on the pitch, it would help to bolster the Gunners' thin attack while bringing a distinct excitement to the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal have leaned all too heavily for their goal scoring on Robin van Persie, who's enjoying an historic campaign but will be hard-pressed to carry the attack for too long, given his penchant for injury.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are expected to lose backup striker Marouane Chamakh and forward Gervinho for a time, as they compete for their respective home countries in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Henry may not be the same talisman who won back-to-back Golden Boots during his prior days in North London, though he still has more than enough left in the proverbial tank to be an effective player in the EPL over the second half of the season. He put through 15 goals in 29 appearances for Red Bulls this year and recently spent some time training with the Gunners, prior to the unveiling of a statue in his honor outside the Emirates.

Not quite "The Invincibles," but not half-bad either.  

Bridge may not invoke nearly the same giddiness among Gooners that Henry does, but his addition would be just as consequential to the club's hopes of contending for trophies this season, if not more so. Arsenal have been ravaged by injuries at full-back in recent months, with Bacary Sagna, Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos and Carl Jenkinson all expected to miss another few weeks, at the very least.

With that depth depleted, Wenger has been forced to start the likes of Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djorou—all of whom specialize in central defense—out of position on the rear flanks at some point or another. Djorou, too, has struggled to stay fit, though he's expected back soon from a groin injury.

Hence, the Gunners have plenty of bodies to man the back line long-term, just not enough healthy ones to be comfortable while contending domestically and in Europe right now.

A veteran full-back of Bridge's repute and Premiership pedigree, then, would be a perfect fit for Arsenal in the coming months.

The problem? Bridge's wages, which currently run at £95,000 per week—rather steep for a player who hasn't seen the pitch since a spell with West Ham United last season. What's more, City would rather sell him outright than send him on another loan. Wenger has little interest in adding another left back to his squad for more than a few months, seeing as how he already has several on three or four-year contracts.

Still, if Wenger can swing things in such a way that Henry and Bridge will be flying to the Emirates on loan be January's end, then Arsenal should be in fine position to survive the next month or two until their roster is at or near full fitness.

At which point, the Gunners may well be prepared to hoist hardware for the first time since 2005.

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