Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has admitted that the club are worried about losing striker Thierry Henry at the end of the season.

The 28-year-old has been linked with a move to Barcelona, although the Frenchman has refused to give credence to the reports.

However, Hill-Wood told the Daily Star: “At the back of my mind there is a fear he will decide to go.

“I have no evidence – other than maybe I have been here too many times before with players and have become cynical.”

Arsenal are desperate to retain the talismanic striker, but with his contract due to expire in 2007, they canniot run the risk of letting him leave for nothing in 18 months time.

“I am realistic enough to know that if he wanted to go he would and there would be nothing we could do about it,” Hill-Wood added.

“If he thought a move would better his career then we could lose him.

“It would be a shattering blow to lose him. We are as keen as mustard to keep him – he knows we are ready to talk about a new contract and will stretch every muscle to keep him.”

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