Jordan Henderson could cost Liverpool millions of pounds if he gets his wish and prematurely calls time on his Al-Ettifaq career this month, but only on loan.
The former Reds captain swapped Merseyside for the Middle East last summer but is believed to have already changed his mind and wants out of the Saudi Pro League. Things have hardly gone to plan on the pitch, with the club amid a miserable nine-match winless streak.
Attendances are dwindling by the week amid a plethora of reports suggesting Henderson is not the only player who made the move from the Premier League to regret it. The England international could be one of the first to exit, as speculation linking him with a loan move to either Ajax or Juventus continues to linger.
Ajax want the 33-year-old to help them emerge from a hellish season – and believe they are close to landing their man despite a late move by Juventus to scupper the deal. Henderson is believed to have also been offered an 18-month loan deal with the Serie A giants but the contract will include a clause that allows the move to be scrapped come the end of the current campaign if things don’t work out.
As expected, both Ajax and Juventus would only pay a fraction of Henderson’s jaw-dropping wages while also avoiding a loan fee. Lingering loan interest from either of the European giants is not good news for Liverpool, given they were hoping their old skipper would leave permanently.
If the midfielder were to leave Al-Ettifaq for good, Liverpool would benefit from the sell-on clause inserted into his contract. That remains unlikely, however, given the club’s stance that they would have to receive a proposal worth more than the £12m they forked out for Henderson before they consider parting ways for good.
The ex-Liverpool man may have hoped that under the guidance of fellow Reds legend Steven Gerrard, Al-Ettifaq’s manager, good times were on the horizon, but things have got off to an undeniably dismal start.
While goalscoring is hardly Henderson’s main strength, 17 games have now passed him by without finding the back of the net for his new side. He has won just six league games for the club, who now sit eighth in the Saudi Pro League table, 28 points behind league leaders Al-Hilal.
A loan switch to Juventus would present Henderson with the chance to re-establish himself on the continent, though he would have to do without Champions League football after the Old Lady were banned from UEFA competitions due to breaking Financial Fair Play rules.
