Thierry Henry Reportedly Favoured as Arsene Wenger's Replacement by Josh Kroenke

Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry is reportedly favoured by Josh Kroenke to take over as the club's manager at the end of this season if incumbent Arsene Wenger parts ways with the north Londoners.

Kroenke, the only son and heir to club owner Stan Kroenke, is a fan of the Gunners' all-time record goalscorer and "will make sure" he's an option to take over if Wenger departs, according to The Telegraph.

Wenger has fallen under major scrutiny this season as Arsenal sit fifth in the Premier League, having lost 3-1 to Liverpool on Saturday—a fixture that saw Alexis Sanchez start on the bench amid a contract dispute.

BBC Sport's David Ornstein has since reported Sanchez's drop to the bench was due to a training-ground row that saw him leave a session last week early, which is just one aspect of a growing nightmare at the Emirates Stadium:

Opinion is divided on whether Wenger—who has been offered a new two-year deal, per Metro's Mark Brus—should remain at the Emirates, although Kroenke Jr. appears to have made his pick on who should replace the Frenchman.

Many are of the understanding Wenger's best days at Arsenal are long behind him, and Bleacher Report's Dean Jones called for the 21-year club veteran to leave alongside some of the playing staff's star names:

Henry—who scored 228 goals for Arsenal—will be ready to coach if he obtains his UEFA Pro License as expected later this year, and the stars could align just in time for one of Arsenal's most heralded players to make a dream return to north London.

That being said, Henry himself has recently come out in defence of his former Arsenal mentor, shifting much of the recent bad press surrounding the manager towards the players.

He told The Sun (h/t Sam Long of the London Evening Standard):

"

Arsene has taken all the bullets at Arsenal for a long time. He gave that club success when it was struggling. I know it was successful before but he changed the club, took them into the new stadium: built the modern Arsenal.

Everyone goes on about ‘Arsene this’ and ‘Arsene that’ when the defeats come but the players need to stand up and be counted too.

"

It was of course Wenger who brought Henry to Arsenal from former club Monaco in 1999, with the pair going on to win Premier League titles in 2002 and 2004, as well as two FA Cups and two Community Shields.

Henry again attempted to deflect some of Arsenal's recent pressure by allaying any fears about the club finishing below rivals Tottenham Hotspur during a recent appearance on Sky Sports:

The 39-year-old is working as an assistant to Belgium manager Roberto Martinez, and The Telegraph suggested it's thanks to his presence that the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard recently recaptured their brightest form.

If those improvements are any indicator as to the effect Henry can have in returning underperformers to their best, he could be the ideal selection for Arsenal's underwhelming stars after all.