Thierry Henry turns down vacant Aston Villa role in the wake of AS Monaco offer

Typical. You spend all weekend chasing your man, and getting the set-up in place and then a Champions League club sacks their manager and takes your place as the appealing option.

Such is the case for Aston Villa, whose efforts to persuade Thierry Henry to take up the club’s vacant managerial position have fallen apart at the last minute. Why? Well - a better option for Henry has become available.

As noted by Julien Laurens on ESPN - Henry is set to take over at AS Monaco, following their sacking of Leonardo Jardim. Monaco haven’t won a game since August - and with expectations high, have made the move to remove Jardim and hold talks with Henry. Gregg Evans of the Birmingham Mail has seemingly confirmed this - stating that Henry will turn down the offer from Aston Villa and head to Monaco, where the job has been presumably offered. Bar any last minute change of heart, of course...

And who can blame Henry? Set for his first senior managerial gig, to be offered the Villa job, and the job at a Champions League club? It’s a dream. What’s more, while Monaco have their issues - Villa are still very much a ‘headcase club’. And come on. It’s Monaco. Monaco. Champions League? Or Championship. It’s an easy choice. It really, really is. Villa’s expectations are high, arguably higher than Monaco’s. It’s win all, and win now for Villa. Despite Monaco’s failings, they just aren’t in Villa’s position - and they’ll be able to support Henry to the hilt. Villa can’t do that right now.

If Henry was Villa’s main man, they should have sealed the deal on the day Bruce was sacked, but it appears the club’s planning - and involvement of (yet to be announced) Director or Football Jesus Garcia Pitarch means that Villa aren’t exactly short of options - namely Brendan Rodgers of Celtic FC. John Terry will likely play a part at the club, backing up whomever takes charge - but this will not be forced on the new manager.