Arsenal legend Thierry Henry believes Alexis Sanchez is Arsene Wenger's best signing in the last five years

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who recently retired from football, has given his verdict on the north London club's new star Alexis Sanchez.

Arsene Wenger signed the Chilean international from Barcelona in the summer, and the forward has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water.

He has hit the ground running for Arsenal and has impressed everyone with his consistent and hard-working performances in the league. Apart from his passion and drive for the game, he is also one of the most talented players out there and has at times this season single-handedly carried the Gunners over the line when the going got tough.

Sanchez has already scored 12 goals and provided seven assists in just 20 league appearances and this has led Henry to suggest that the former Barcelona man could be Arsene Wenger's best signing in the last five or six years.

Arsenal's record goal scorer has been impressed with Sanchez's form, but he admits that it is his all round game that has impressed him the most.

"He is a very, very good player and you know that if he is on tune, then Arsenal have a lot of chances to win the game. I am trying to think if there has been a better signing in the last five or six years. It is still early days but so far it is very good. He is doing extremely well. He is going to score goals but it is his all-round game that I am so impressed with. That has no price," Henry said, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

"Arsenal were looking for a player to deliver on a daily basis and they have found one. He is brilliant. He can read the game incredibly, as you saw with the goal on Sunday, and his work-rate is fantastic.

"He scores goals and doesn't need a lot of opportunities to put the ball in the net. That is very important."

The former New York Red Bulls star is confident that the Chilean forward will be a great player for many years, and believes he will only get better as he adapts more to the Premier League.

"Arsenal fans have been waiting to have a player like that. Finally they have one. He struggled at the beginning, like everybody, but when he got into a rhythm, you can see the quality. We should all be happy with him. He is going to be a great player for many years."

The Gunners legend, however dismissed suggestions that Wenger's team are over reliant on Sanchez to win them games and will struggle should the striker face a period on the sidelines.

"No. In some of the games when he hasn't appeared, Arsenal have won them. Sanchez didn't have a great game against West Ham — and they won. He didn't have a great game against QPR — and they won. So there you go," Henry explained.

However, despite Sanchez's great form for the club, Arsenal still find themselves 13 points off leaders Chelsea in fifth place, which is a cause for concern for the manager and the fans. But Henry believes that a good push from the entire team can get them back to winning ways and closer to the top sooner rather than later.

"It has to be a team effort. They don't seem so far away, but having said that, they are still some distance from the first spot. It is going to take a team effort to get there," the former French international concluded.