strikes “agreement” with new team as former Liverpool captain is about to leave Saudi Arabia.
Jordan Henderson signed with Al-Ettifaq during the summer transfer window, but it seems like he may be leaving Liverpool soon.
Al-Ettifaq, a Saudi Arabian club, and Jordan Henderson are allegedly in agreement to part ways.
According to reports, the former captain of Liverpool is “in the process” of breaking the three-year deal he agreed to in the summer to join Steven Gerrard’s squad.
Henderson has agreed to go to the Dutch powerhouses in order to halt his terrible run in the Middle East, and he is now “close” to signing with Ajax. Juventus was also said to be interested in signing the midfield player, although it was thought that the agreement would only be on a loan.
The 33-year-old left Al-Ettifaq’s training camp and came back to England to expedite the process, but he still has to finish the paperwork to make this transfer feasible, according to the Athletic.
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Henderson and his young family were unable to stay in the Middle East, and according to a different Times story on the matter, he has been considering a return to the Premier League or another European country.
The England international will be hoping to restart his campaign to be included in Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 team, and it now seems like a move of this kind is imminent.
In response to rumours of a possible trade, Ajax manager John van ‘t Schip recently revealed his team’s interest in the 2019 Champions League champion, saying, “There’s serious talk going on with Henderson.” I certify that Henderson and the club are in communication. Now he has to take care of his club.
Henderson, who had previously been an advocate of the LGBTQ+ community, drew a lot of flak for his choice to join the Saudi Pro League back in July, mostly because he was moving to a nation where homosexuality is illegal.
In September, he gave an explanation for his decision to join Al-Ettifaq, saying, “I think there was always going to be criticism regardless of what I did, whether I stayed or whether I went.” In other words, I had to decide what was best for my family and myself. Hence, the football represents the football side. So should I go to a new place to try something different, develop my favourite game in a different nation, and make the league the greatest in the world? I’m excited about it because I want to see the sport flourish globally. And it really sparked my interest.”
Jordan Henderson, the former captain of Liverpool, has agreed in principle to return to the struggling European powerhouse, Al Ettifaq, when his lucrative contract there is ended.
Henderson signed a contract worth almost £12 million last summer to leave Liverpool for Saudi Arabia. The 33-year-old was no longer a consistent starter at Anfield, and the Reds had every intention of managing a comprehensive midfield makeover.
After consulting with manager Jurgen Klopp, Henderson decided to make the lucrative late-career transition to Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq after understanding his position was no longer safe.
According to reports, Henderson made about £700,000 per week from the deal. But in the middle east, the bloom quickly faded after just six months.
Leading the way, The Daily Mail disclosed that Henderson had not adapted to life in Saudi Arabia. The intense heat, the adjustment to a new way of life, and the unsatisfactory attendance and mood during Al Ettifaq games were all problems.
The Public Investment Fund does not own any of the four Saudi Pro League teams, including Al Ettifaq. Consequently, Gerrard’s team had to settle with less well-known players like Demarai Grey, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Jack Hendry.
Klopp put an end to rumours that he was going back to Liverpool fast. Italian reports suggested that a transfer to Juventus may be possible; however, Juve has already said that they would not be adding any more players this month.
Rather, on January 9, Fabrizio Romano revealed that the Dutch powerhouse Ajax was in the running. Henderson is on track for the Netherlands, based on reports from him and David Ornstein of the Athletic.
Henderson will sign a free move to Ajax.
First off, Romano said throughout the course of the night that Ajax had become more optimistic about landing Henderson.
Tuesday saw discussions to accomplish precisely that, and Romano pronounced the agreement to be “absolutely on.”
On Wednesday morning, Ornstein gave Ajax and Henderson more positive news when he disclosed that the midfield player and Al Ettifaq had decided to end the midway point of his three-year deal.
Henderson and Ajax have reached a “protocol in principle” for Henderson to join Ajax on a free transfer, and his contract is now under review.
Henderson will thus not be taking a loan; this is a permanent transfer. While Ornstein reiterated that the general structure of Henderson’s transfer to Ajax is in place, there are still some more elements to sort out and a medical examination to be conducted.
On October 23, after a terrible start to the season, Ajax fired manager Maurice Steijn.
But since John van ‘t Schip took over, the team’s performance has significantly improved, and Ajax has won their past eight Eredivisie games.
With any luck, Henderson will now provide leadership and experience to an Ajax team that is still relatively young but has a lot of potential.
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