Jordan Henderson has said goodbye to his Liverpool team-mates, and should be confirmed as an Al Ettifaq player by the end of the week.
Henderson’s controversial transfer to Saudi Arabia’s Pro League comes with a fee worth around £13m, and will bring his 12-year Anfield career to an end. He has won seven major trophies in that time.
The Liverpool captain sought clarity from Jurgen Klopp over how much game time he would get with the Reds next season, before making his decision to leave.
After joining the Liverpool squad for their pre-season training camp in Germany, Henderson was left out of the opening friendly against Karlsruher last week, and said farewell to his team-mates before returning home to undergo a medical and finalise the move.
The final legal details of his lucrative new Al Ettifaq contract are expected to be completed in the next 24 hours.
The Saudi Pro League side, now managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, are so determined to land the England international they have proposed more than tripling his £200,000-a-week salary.
Liverpool are undergoing a midfield rebuild that is not complete yet. They have added Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, with strong interest remaining in Romeo Lavia.
Thiago Alcantara has also been targeted by Saudi Arabia, while Liverpool have already given Fabinho the green light to complete a £40m move to Al Ittihad.
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John Cross and David Ornstein discuss Henderson’s potential ‘seismic’ move to Saudi Arabia
Henderson’s proposed move has drawn criticism from Liverpool’s LGBTQI+ fans group Kop Outs, who tweeted: “Kop Outs have valued the allyship shown by Jordan Henderson.
“We are appalled and concerned that anyone might consider working for a sports washing operation for a regime where women & LGBT+ people are oppressed and that regularly tops the world death sentence table.”
Henderson made 43 appearances for Liverpool in 2022/23 and marked the 12th anniversary of his signing for the club last month.
Signed from Sunderland in 2011, Henderson has won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, two League Cups, the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup during a trophy-laden 12 years at Anfield.
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