Jordan Henderson, the former Liverpool captain, has shared his thoughts on Mohamed Salah possibly leaving Liverpool for Saudi Arabia. He said he wouldn’t discourage Salah from moving to the Saudi Pro League, even though he left Al-Ettifaq after just six months due to difficulties adjusting to the climate and lifestyle.
Henderson, who has now joined Ajax, was so keen to leave Al-Ettifaq that he was willing to give up $5.1m (£4m/€4.7m) in wages. Despite this, when asked if he would advise Salah to avoid the Saudi Pro League, Henderson said: “No definitely not.
“Everyone is different. Big players are there now loving every second of it. You might get others that don’t settle or something happens in their private life.
“Things change quickly. I wouldn’t speak badly of the league or the clubs or anything like that. I have full respect for the opportunity I was given to go there.”
Rumors are circulating that Salah could follow in Henderson’s footsteps, with several Saudi Pro League clubs reported to be ready to spend big to bring one of the Premier League’s best scorers to the Middle East. Al-Ittihad failed in its attempts to lure the Egyptian last summer with a $191m (£150m/€175m) offer, although that isn’t likely to put Saudi sides off considering how big a coup Salah would be.
Henderson went on to say that his move to Al-Ettifaq last July was driven by a pure intention to improve the standard of the division. He elaborated: “I went there with the full commitment of trying to help the league, and the club I was at, Steven Gerrard and my team-mates.
“That’s what I did for six months. Things can change in football. An opportunity like this doesn’t come around very often. I will eat, sleep and breathe Ajax to make this club better.” The English player has signed up with the Eredivisie giant on a two-and-a-half-year deal, which is due to end in summer 2026.
