Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson reportedly wants to leave Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq in January, merely six months after joining them. Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has said personal reasons could be the cause behind the Englishman’s shock transfer decision.
Liverpool Legend Henderson Has Had A Quiet Few Months At Al-Ettifaq
Henderson, who has won 81 caps for England, left Liverpool for Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettifaq in July. Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq paid the Reds €14 million ($15.33 million) for the midfielder’s services. In a recent interview, Henderson revealed he left Anfield only after learning he was not going to feature regularly in Jurgen Klopp’s first XI for the 2023-24 season.
The former Sunderland man looked content in the first couple of months, but his performances eventually started to slip. He has featured in 19 games for the club in all competitions this season, recording five assists.
Ajax Amongst Teams Interested In Henderson’s Services
According to sources, Henderson is not enjoying his game in Saudi Arabia and now wishes to return to Europe. Some believe Henderson wants to boost his hopes of starting for England in the 2024 European Championship, which is why he wants to play in a more competitive league. Transfer guru Romano, however, believes the 33-year-old’s decision is heart-driven. The Italian journalist also credited a few clubs with an interest in the midfielder, including Eredivisie powerhouse Ajax.
In his Daily Briefing column, Romano wrote (via CaughtOffside):
“I broke an interesting story yesterday on Jordan Henderson and the possibility of moving to Ajax. There are other clubs interested and monitoring the situation, but I’m told Ajax are pushing now to find a way.
“Of course, the crucial detail to see will be if Al Ettifaq will open doors for Jordan to leave, the conditions of the deal, and more. About other clubs, I don’t have precise info yet so I prefer to wait and then we see if they will really move.”
He added:
“There’s been a lot of talk about different reasons for Henderson wanting to move, with one rumour relating to concerns over his England place for Euro 2024. My sense is that I think it’s not about being a smart strategic move, it’s more of a personal decision, I don’t want to judge people’s life choices, Jordan has a family before being a football player and so he will be the one explaining what’s the sense of his decision.”
Henderson spent 12 years at Anfield before leaving for the desert in July. He played 492 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 33 times and providing 61 assists.
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