Henry's Monaco recruit giant Brazilian Naldo for relegation scrap

Monaco (AFP) – Brazilian defender Naldo has joined Thierry Henry’s Monaco from Schalke 04, the French Ligue 1 club struggling in 19th place announced on Thursday.

The 36-year-old who has won 4 caps for Brazil heads to the Principality outfit on a contract until June 2020 after 14 seasons in the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen, Wolfsburg and Schalke, where he played 34 times last season. 

“Welcome to Naldo, a defender with great experience at the highest level and noted for his leadership qualities. We are convinced that his profile will be an important asset in our desire to rapidly strengthen the workforce,” Monaco’s vice-president Vadim Vasilyev said in a statement on their website.

The affable defender vowed to give everything he could for his new club.

“I thank AS Monaco for their trust. I will do everything to meet the expectations of the club on the field but also outside of it. I want to bring my experience to help AS Monaco,” he said on the club website.

Former France and Arsenal star Henry took over as Monaco coach earlier this season, but this is a much depleted team in comparison to the star studded outfit that won the French title in 2017.