Former skipper of English Premier League giants Liverpool and midfielder of the England national team Jordan Henderson was one of the biggest stars to have left European club football to join the Saudi Pro League in Asia the last summer transfer window, alongside other big names such as Neymar, Karim Benzema, Aymeric Laporte, Sadio Mané, Riyad Mahrez, etc. Nevertheless, recent reports, including that of Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano, have suggested that the 33-year-old player has the intention to put a halt to his short tenure at the oil-rich region and secure a spot in an European football club in the near future.
Jordan Henderson’s Al-Ettifaq Winless Since October 2023
Two-time Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ettifaq are currently managed by another former Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard and skippered by Jordan Henderson, and they had huge ambition in recapturing the league title they last won in the 1986/1987 Season this year. Nevertheless, things did not go well for Stevie G’s and Jordan Henderson’s Al-Ettifaq in 2023/2024 thus far, as the team have been winless in all competitions since their last win on 29th October 2023, leaving the club at eighth place of the Saudi Pro League with 25 points out of a possible 57 after 19 Matchdays. To make matters worse, Al-Ettifaq are only eight points above the relegation zone due to their recent poor showings.
According to sources, the below-par performance is one of the reasons why Jordan Henderson, a player who is rumoured earning a whooping weekly wage of £700,000 in Saudi Arabia, to have the desire to cut short his stay at the Asian country and plot a move back to European club football this January. Other possible causes that filled Jordan Henderson’s desire to rejoin a club Europe are likely to do with the struggles to adapt into life away from Europe for him and his family as well as his bid to secure a starting spot in Gareth Southgate’s lineup for the England national team in the 2024 UEFA European Championship Finals that will be played at Germany this summer.
Jordan Henderson’s former club Liverpool will be without several key players for their EFL Cup Semifinal first leg match against fellow English Premier League team Fulham at Anfield tonight due to injuries and participations in the African Cup of Nations and the AFC Asian Cup. Check out this article for more information on the current availability of Liverpool players: https://www.otherleague.com/soccer/trent-alexander-arnold-out-for-3-weeks/
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Where Is Jordan Henderson’s Next Possible Destination?
Al-Ettifaq are certainly unwilling to let go Jordan Henderson to an European football club following his lucrative move to join the club just last summer. But should the 33-year-old midfielder does leave the Saudi Pro League, his preferred choice of the next destination is definitely a return to the English Premier League, a place where he spent his entire senior professional career at before the move to the oil-rich Saudi region.
If a return to the English top-flight football is not on the cards for the ex-Sunderland, Coventry City and Liverpool player, then an incoming transfer to other parts of Europe could be possible for him, since AFC Ajax and Celtic are reportedly keen to offer the player an escape route to put a full-stop to his short Saudi Pro League career after only six months into his three-year luxurious contract at Al-Ettifaq.
Now, it is one thing that Jordan Henderson wants to return to Europe as soon as possible, but consider that he said he was excited to leave the European continent and join the Al-Ettifaq during his first interviews with the club last summer, many football experts and pundits have called out the England international on many occasions, saying that he is “Shameless” in wanting a return to European club football.
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What Are Your Thoughts on Jordan Henderson’s Desire to Leave?
We at OtherLeague.com are interested to know your opinions regarding Jordan Henderson’s intention to not honour his Al-Ettifaq contract half a year into it. Leave us your comments down in the section below as we wish to interact with our beloved readers more to continue our excellent productions in sports news in football and others. Also, stay tuned to our website for future updates on the England player’s possible outgoing transfer away from the Saudi Pro League in the upcoming days or weeks.
Al-Ettifaq’s position is that Jordan Henderson is not for sale or loan in January and hasn’t made any request to leave. Should he do so, Ettifaq would only entertain an astronomical offer that sees them profit significantly from money invested in his signing. Ettifaq are… pic.twitter.com/netVjn16is
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) January 6, 2024
