Jordan Henderson, a former midfielder for Liverpool, wants to get out of his short-lived misery at Al-Ettifaq, but leaving on loan won’t help his old team in any way.
If Jordan Henderson gets his wish this month and prematurely ends his Al-Ettifaq career, it might cost Liverpool millions of pounds—but only if he stays on loan.
The former captain of the Reds is thought to have already changed his mind and wants out of the Saudi Pro League. He left Merseyside for the Middle East last summer. On the pitch, not much has gone according to plan as the team is currently on a terrible nine-game losing skid.
Week-by-week attendance is declining despite a variety of reports indicating that Henderson is not the only player who left the Premier League to regret their decision. The rumours that the England international will be joining Ajax or Juventus on loan are still circulating, so he might be among the first to go.
Despite Juventus’s last-minute attempt to scuttle the deal, Ajax feels certain they are close to acquiring their man and hopes the 33-year-old will help them recover from a terrible season. Henderson is also rumoured to have received an 18-month loan offer from the Serie A powerhouses, but the terms of the agreement will allow the transfer to be abandoned at the end of the current season if circumstances warrant it.
Naturally, Ajax and Juventus would forego paying a loan fee in exchange for simply paying a small portion of Henderson’s astounding salary. Liverpool should be disappointed by any remaining loan interest from the two European powerhouses, since they had hoped that their former captain would depart permanently.
The buy-on clause in the midfielder’s contract would help Liverpool if he were to permanently depart Al-Ettifaq. That is still improbable, though, considering the club’s position that they would need to accept a bid more than the £12 million they paid for Henderson before considering a permanent split.
The former Liverpool player may have thought that good days were ahead under the direction of Al-Ettifaq’s manager, fellow Reds icon Steven Gerrard, but things have unquestionably gotten off to a very bad start.
