Barcelona 'considered Henry to take over if Valverde didn't renew' last season

If circumstances had panned-out differently, Thierry Henry could now be sitting in Barcelona's Nou Camp hot-seat instead of the Montreal Impact dugout.

As Ernesto Valverde mulled signing a contract extension last season, higher-ups at the Catalan club made contact with the Arsenal icon to discuss a sensational return to Spain in the event of Valverde passing up on a new deal, Mundo Deportivo reported.

Henry spent three seasons at the Nou Camp, scoring 49 goals in a team featuring Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, and he was seen as a strong candidate thanks to his star-man status and his experience playing alongside talisman Messi.

However, Valverde eventually signing a one-year extension and Henry's disastrous flop at Monaco saw the Frenchman put out of the running.

Henry lasted just three months at Monaco, winning five matches in just 20 games on his return to his boyhood club as boss - but he is now back in management, moving to MLS side Montreal.

The 42-year-old is familiar with the MLS, having finished his playing career in the States with New York Red Bulls.

He scored 52 goals in 135 appearances during a four-year spell there, and joins the Canadian side after they finished ninth in the MLS's Eastern Conference last season.

Meanwhile, Valverde's Barcelona are top of a tight La Liga table despite a rocky start to the season. The Catalans have suffered losses to Levante and Granada, but still lead Real Madrid on goal difference.

The MLS season gets underway in February, with Henry brought in with plenty of time to prepare his squad - which features former Barcelona man Bojan Krkic and former Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna.