Arsenal and Barcelona legend in contention to manage £10m Birmingham City star

Former Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry is being considered as the next manager of the Welsh national team.

According to BBC Sport Wales, Henry is under consideration to replace Rob Page. The FAW parted company with Page last week and are on the lookout for the next man to lead them into their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. 

Henry is gearing up for the Olympic Games which will be held in Paris next month. He is the manager of the France under-21s team and will lead the hosts into the tournament. 

The Gunners legend's links to Wales are that he studied his coaching badges in the country. He obtained the UEFA Pro Licence, the highest qualification a coach can have through the FAW's coaching education programme, and now he could potentially give back to the country by becoming their next manager. 

Should the Football Association of Wales push through with their initial interest, then there is a possibility that he would manage a Birmingham City star. 

Talented midfielder Jordan James is under contract at St Andrew's is under contract until the summer of 2025 and so far no club has met the £10m valuation Birmingham have placed on him. 

The 19-year-old is regarded as one of the best young players outside of the Premier League and only just missed out on the Championship Young Player of the Year award last season. He got eight goals in 42 games for Blues but Birmingham may have to consider cashing in on him if he and his representatives are not entertaining the idea of playing football in League One next season. 

Europa League winners Atlanta are keen admirers whilst teams such as Newcastle United, Wolves and West Ham from the Premier League are also watching on. If they were to sell him then the money could be reinvested back into the first-team squad, whilst keeping him would allow them to build the team around him given his obvious talents.