THE battle for Thierry Henry has intensified, with Arsenal responding to Barcelona’s claims last week that they have a verbal agreement with the France forward by calling an emergency meeting with Henry and his representatives and offering him a new four-year, £100,000-a-week contract.

Real Madrid, who are in much greater need of a new striker than Barcelona, have joined the battle, claiming that the Catalan club are not in the race because, unlike them, they are not prepared to make Henry their top earner.

Henry has always insisted that sporting motives would determine his next career move. But that has not prevented Arsenal from looking to tie down their captain with a deal that would make him the highest-paid player in the club’s history.

Barcelona increased the stakes last week when it was claimed in a Catalan paper that they had spoken to Henry and his move to the Spanish league leaders had been verbally agreed. It appears that Arsenal responded to that by offering their captain an unprecedented package.

Reports in the Madrid press yesterday claimed that the offer was close to £6 million a year, adding that such a deal would be more than they are paying Ronaldinho, their top earner at present Barcelona’s unwillingness to make Henry their highest-paid player is something that Real are keen to capitalise on. Real saw first-hand, in their defeat by Arsenal in the Champions League first-round knockout stage, how devastating a player Henry remains.

They have scored only once in their past four matches and are in desperate need of a new striker. If Henry officially rejects Arsenal’s new offer, there is little doubt in the Spanish capital that Real will then outbid Barcelona in an attempt to take the World Cup winner from under their rivals’ nose.

At the start of the season, Barcelona might have willingly engaged in a bidding war, knowing that they were Henry’s preferred destination. But that willingness has undoubtedly been affected by the astonishing season enjoyed by their three first-team attackers.

This week, Samuel Eto’o, whose place would be most at threat from Henry’s arrival, scored his 100th goal in La Liga in only 195 games for Barcelona and Real Mallorca. With 22 league goals this season, he is two goals behind Luca Toni, of Fiorentina, for the Golden Boot, which Henry shared with Diego Forlàn, of Villarreal, last season.

Alongside the 25-year-old African, Ronaldinho has had another superb season and Lionel Messi, the 18-year-old Argentina player, has surpassed all expectations. If Messi and Ronaldinho have an excellent World Cup and Eto’o finishes the season with the Golden Boot, it is hard to see where Henry would fit in.

Barcelona could rotate their forwards, but for the privilege of doing so they are unlikely to want to break the bank. Real, in contrast, are planning a clearout at the end of the season and would want to give Henry the kind of status he has at Highbury and the financial rewards that no other club could match.

One player who believes that Henry would not be one striker too many at Barcelona is Eto’o. The Cameroon forward said yesterday: “If he comes he will be welcome. I don’t have the keys to the Barcelona dressing-room, I can’t lock it and stop anyone else coming in.

“Henry, (Zinedine) Zidane, my grandmother, anyone would be welcome. I am tired of hearing that Henry is going to take my place and that that is going to upset me. How am I going to be upset by Henry? He is my friend.”

The forward revealed how Henry had sent text messages of support after Eto’o made a stand against racism by threatening to leave the pitch during a match against Real Zaragoza last month. The two could be exchanging passes as well next season, but Arsenal and Real will do all they can to stop that happening.