PER MERTESACKER has endorsed Thierry Henry’s credentials for a Premier League return with Arsenal, insisting that the striker “still has the same attitude” that he displayed in his pomp.

Arsene Wenger is poised to offer Henry a short-term contract at the club, as the manager prepares to lose Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho to the Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off on January 21st.

Behind the in-form Robin van Persie, Wenger’s only other striker is the summer signing Chu-Young Park, who is yet to feature in the Premier League. Wenger has already told Park that he needs to “step up”.

Henry, a statue of whom has been unveiled at the Emirates Stadium, has been training with the club while the New York Red Bulls are on their close-season break.

The Red Bulls have not indicated whether they would be prepared to sanction a loan move for Henry to Arsenal but the 34-year-old would relish the opportunity. And Mertesacker, the Germany centre half, who signed from Werder Bremen in August, is confident that Henry would prosper.

“I am very happy to play against him in training and it is a great experience,” Mertesacker said. “He is playing very, very good. He is a great opportunity for us but I’m not the manager. I couldn’t make a decision on what is possible for him or for us. To have him with us is great because he shows his attitude, his experience. He still has the same attitude he showed in a lot of games at Arsenal.”

Wenger has also been linked with a move for the Cologne and Germany striker Lukas Podolski, who is another player that Mertesacker knows and rates highly.

“He is a great player, especially for the national team,” Mertesacker said. “He scores a lot of goals, and he has a very good finish with his left foot.”

The Cologne managing director Claus Horstmann is confident Podolski will extend his contract. “The fundamentals are clear,” he said. “Podolski has a year and a half left on his contract and we want to go into the talks at an early stage with the aim of extending this contract.”