According to reports in the British media, Thierry Henry [ Images ] is ready to sign a four-year contract to stay on with the Gunners.

For a while now, there has been talk of the 28-year-old Henry joining Barcelona [ Images ], but according to The Sun, it was the bonding between the fans and the footballers after the 2-1 Champions League [ Images ] defeat that convinced last year's English Football Writers Association's Player of the Year to stay on.

'I hope to stay for as long as I can keep running. I could not face leaving the fans. They are like my family,' the Sun quoted the French striker in an exclusive interview.

A formal announcement is expected on Friday.

That perhaps explains why David Dein, the Arsenal vice-chairman, was strangely upbeat even after the Paris defeat.

Henry had said he would announce his decision before the start of the World Cup on June 9. He joins the France [ Images ] World Cup squad next week.

Other reports said Henry's wife Nicole Merry's fondness for London [ Images ] also helped sway his decision.

And what Henry -- who joined Arsenal from Juventus [ Images ] in 1999 and has scored 200 goals for the Gunners -- said after the defeat was definitely indicative of his frame of mind: 'People talk, maybe rightly so sometimes, about Barcelona being the best team in Europe, but I'm sorry. People can talk about magic, but I didn't see any magic last night.'

Image: Thierry Henry in action at the Champions League final at Stade de France, Paris on Wednesday.

Photograph: Lluis GeneAFP/Getty Images

Also see
Complete Coverage: UEFA Champions League