Less than half a year after his questionable move to leave Liverpool to join Al-Ettifaq at the end of July 2023, Jordan Henderson had decided to return to European club football by signing for AFC Ajax, the 36-time Eredivisie winners. The transfer news have been confirmed by multiple reliable sources, including that of Fabrizio Romano, that the former captain of the Kop chose to cut short his lucrative stay at the oil-rich Saudi Pro League and seal a return to much known football continent of Europe in the form of Dutch giants AFC Ajax, who are currently the fifth best team in the Eredivisie league table.
Al-Ettifaq Agreed to Terminate Jordan Henderson’s Contract for the Englishman to Join AFC Ajax
Prior to his move to AFC Ajax, Jordan Henderson completed a reported £12-million transfer to join Al-Ettifaq, a club managed by his former teammate and another club captain at Liverpool Steven Gerrard last summer. The outgoing deal that saw the England midfielder leave the English Premier League to join the Saudi region immediately received backlashes, especially when the 33-year-old mentioned that the decision had nothing to do with money and that he was excited to be a part of a mega ongoing project at Saudi Arabia.
Things certainly did not go as planned during the former Premier League star Henderson’s stay at Saudi Arabia. The midfielder made a total of 19 appearances in all competitions as the captain of Al-Ettifaq, scoring no goals and registering five assists under his belt. To rub salt into injury, the team performed poorly in the recent few months, undergoing a nine-game winless streak with their final win came against Al-Wehda at King Abdul Aziz Stadium back in October 2023. This disappointing run saw Al-Ettifaq only accumulate 25 points as the eighth best team in the Saudi Pro League table, trailing league leaders Al-Hilal by a whooping 28 points.
The below-par results were not the only reason why Henderson opted to end his Saudi tenure for good, the England midfielder’s family is also unsettled at the Asian region, and that the 33-year-old is desperate for a place in the Three Lions’ squad for Gareth Southgate in the upcoming 2024 UEFA European Championship at Germany.
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Kaveh Solhekol: “Al-Ettifaq Accept He (Henderson) Didn’t Settle and Respect His Desire to Leave.”
Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol had this to say on Henderson’s move to leave Al-Ettifaq and return to Europe by joining AFC Ajax: “The Saudi Pro League, Saudi Arabia Football Federation and Al Ettifaq are happy there has been a quick conclusion so everyone can move forward. They know Henderson was a good professional for the club but accept he didn’t settle and respect his desire to leave. Once it became clear he wanted to leave, Al Ettifaq did not stand in his way. In fact they fast-tracked his departure so they could do business in this window. His contract will be terminated on financial conditions that mean the club will not really lose out.”
“Everyone tried to make it work. It didn’t. No one is to blame, no one is upset and there are no hard feelings. It’s just part of football and life. It depends how you look at it. A lot of people will be saying he’s coming back with his tail between his legs, he should never have gone there in the first place. He was accused of being a hypocrite. He was accused of only going there for the money. He was accused of letting down the LGBTQ+ community. We’ve got to be a bit careful before we start to criticise people because we don’t know the full story,” added the Englishman.
Solhekol mentioned Al-Ettifaq and Henderson were respectful towards each other at the end of the latter’s tenure, and he thinks that the 33-year-old’s move to join AFC Ajax is a wise choice. “Last summer, Jordan Henderson thought the best decision for him and his family was for him to move to Saudi Arabia. Fast forward six months later, he thinks the best decision for him is to leave Saudi Arabia and come back to Europe. He will be happy that his Saudi Arabian adventure is over and he’s back playing at a higher level in European football. One of the really important things for him is to keep his place in the England squad for the Euros this summer.”
Another England midfielder is also looking for a new club this January, click here to find out more on the related story!
🚨⚪️🔴 Jordan Henderson to Ajax, here we go! Agreement completed right now as former Liverpool captain will travel to Amsterdam on Thursday.
Medical tests to follow tomorrow.
Top signing revealed last week now done.
Exclusive story, confirmed.@TurkishAirlines ✈️ pic.twitter.com/WGCiFwFK0T
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 17, 2024
Can Jordan Henderson Save AFC Ajax’s Season in 2023/2024?
With the former Liverpool skipper now back to Europe by representing AFC Ajax, the experience that Henderson carries will be vital in AFC Ajax’s ambitions of returning to the summit of the Dutch Eredivisie.
Despite being the 36-time Dutch champions and the most successful team in the history of the Dutch top-flight football, AFC Ajax have not been their usual self in the past one and a half seasons. After only finishing third in their league endeavours last season, Ajax slumped to fifth place with only eight wins, four draws and five losses. Their 28-point performance in the 2023/2024 campaign thus far meant they are 23 points behind league leaders PSV Eindhoven, who are still enjoying their perfect 17-game winning streak since the start of the season.
Leave us some comments down in the section below, on whether you think Jordan Henderson, alongside his many years of experience in the English Premier League and international football with England, can propel AFC Ajax back to the top of the the Dutch Eredivisie. Your thoughts are everything for us to continue our excellent productions in the latest and most entertaining sports news!
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