Arsenal fans did not know whether to laugh or cry last night after it became apparent that Thierry Henry had played his last game for the club.

Most regulars at the Emirates Stadium would agree that the France forward is the best player the club has had but nearing 30 and with his best years behind him, the jury is out on how much he will be missed. “We have had some great players – Liam Brady, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp – but Henry was the only one who was regarded as being the best player in the world while he was here,” Tom Pemberton, a season ticket-holder for 24 years, said.

“Having said that, this year a lot of fans got the impression that his heart was no longer in it. If that is the case, then £17 million is a lot of money for a 29-year-old who was earning £120,000 a week and there would have been no point in keeping him against his wishes.”

While Henry can look forward to linking up with Ronaldinho & Co at the Nou Camp next season, Arsenal supporters are looking at the bigger picture. What effect will Henry’s transfer have on Arsène Wenger? The Arsenal manager has taken the loss of players such as Vieira, Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit in his stride, but does he see his long-term future at a club who have been destabilised by takeover speculation and the departure of David Dein, Wenger’s close confidante and the former vice-chairman?

“I am absolutely devastated but we are in the middle of a four-year transformation that is a necessary part of the restructuring of the club and Henry’s sale could be part of the great move forward,” Mike Korel, an Arsenal supporter for 36 years, said. “The big fear is that this will lead to a mass exodus of players but we have to keep believing that this is all part of Wenger’s long-term plan.”

Wenger’s contract runs out at the end of next season and although losing Henry is a significant blow, most fans accept that the bitter pill of his departure will be easier to swallow if the manager pledges his future to the club by signing a new contract. “I’ve got this strange feeling that Wenger is going to go to Barcelona as well next summer, so he needs to come out and say something to reassure us,” Maria-Eleni Christodouolou, an Arsenal supporter for 12 years, said.

“I am gutted that I will never be able to see Henry play in our shirt again but I can understand why he’s left. This was realistically his last chance to move to a club like Barcelona so I can’t blame him for leaving but this could be the beginning of a downward spiral – how long is [Cesc] Fàbregas going to want to hang around for now? How many other players are going to want to go? The next few months are going to be crucial for the club.”

If Arsenal are to challenge for the title next season, Wenger will have to spend the proceeds of the sale wisely, but as far as fans are concerned, the Frenchman has already proven to be a shrewd player in the transfer market – when he has not been buying British – and the capture of a forward such as David Trezeguet or Nicolas Anelka would help to soften the blow.

“Man United and Spurs fans may be laughing now but we will be back,” Stoll Michael, a season ticket-holder for more than 20 years, said. “Henry should have gone last year. No one is bigger than Arsenal and no one is irreplaceable.”

Best of the web

“My mum just said it’s only football. I nearly punched her.” awimb.com

“This is a catastrophe. Who’s next? There has got to be some serious stuff going down behind the scenes at the Emirates for this to happen. Henry bled Arsenal. If the kids don’t come through, we could get overtaken by . . Spurs.” arseonline.com

“This is Tottenham’s greatest night ever.” rivals.net

“Two words – Get Berbatov!” football365.com

“When United sold Ruud van Nistelrooy to Real Madrid for £10 million last summer, who would have thought that they would become a better team without him? Maybe we can do the same? Is Henry really worth less than Michael Carrick?” awimb.com “Bring back Perry Groves.” arseonline.co.uk