Thierry Henry has highlighted the coaching prowess of his former Arsenal team-mate Cesc Fabregas, insisting that many European teams are "coming for him" this summer.
Henry and Fabregas were successful alongside one another in north London, spending three seasons in the same side at Arsenal. Together, they won the FA Cup and Community Shield and also made the Champions League final in the 2005/06 season, being defeated 2-1 by Barcelona in a late comeback for the La Liga giants.
Since then, the pair have each gone on to football management, with Henry coaching in the Arsenal academy before going on to take charge of Monaco, Montreal Impact and France's Olympics squad, as well as stints as Belgium's assistant.
Fabregas, meanwhile, has recently dipped his toes into coaching, joining Como in 2023 to take charge of their under-19 and B-teams. Both former Gunners are shareholders in the Serie A team, and the Spaniard, who was appointed head coach last summer, managed the club to an impressive 10th-placed finish this season.
Como were sitting just above the relegation zone for large spells, but a late push from the squad helped them strive forward and end up in the top half of the table.
Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry of Arsenal.
The former Arsenal team-mates remain good friends (Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Fabregas' managerial skills have been recognised by many other clubs in Europe, with Henry stating that Como will have to work hard to keep the former Arsenal star in Italy this summer.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, the Gunners legend praised his ex-team-mate's success with Como and revealed the pedigree of clubs who may be interested in him right now.
Henry said: "I invested in Como 1907, and we did well this season. Cesc Fabregas did very well, and I have to give him a lot of credit.
Cesc Fabregas shoots at goal watched by Thierry Henry (L) and Jeremie Aliadiere during the Arsenal training session at their London Colney training ground on October 31, 2006 in London Colney, England.
Henry reckons Como will receive plenty of approaches for Fabregas' services (Image: Christopher Lee/Getty Images)
"Not to go into too much detail, but a lot of clubs, I think, are coming for him. There are rumours of AC Milan and Roma. I think he must be the first coach in history that has shares in the club that he coaches."
Henry delved into the mind behind Fabregas, stating that the former midfielder had an intellectual side to him that many other footballers would dream of having in the sport. He added: "Cesc was always a thinker.
"When he arrived at Arsenal, the way he broke into the team and how he was thinking about the game – I always said, there is a difference between playing the game and thinking about the game, and he’s a thinker. When you speak to him, you can speak to him for hours about football."
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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