Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq is close to acquiring the services of 33-year-old Liverpool star midfielder Jordan Henderson.
According to a report by Football Insider, Jordan Henderson is expected to make the move to Saudi Arabia in the ongoing transfer window following a breakthrough in talks between Al Ettifaq and Liverpool. The 33-year-old is all set to leave the Merseyside club after 12 long years.
Henderson came through the ranks at Sunderland before making a move to Liverpool in the summer of 2011 for a fee of £16 million. He has since gone on to become a club legend. The 33-year-old has won it all with the Merseyside club. He has featured in 492 matches and has contributed towards 94 goals.
In addition, the experienced midfielder has made 77 appearances for the English national side. Meanwhile, Henderson was handed over the club’s captaincy back in 2015 after the departure of Steven Gerrard who is all set to be the 33-year-old’s manager at Al Ettifaq.
If reports are to be believed, Gerrard is the one who wants the 33-year-old at the club. And, the Saudi Arabian club are all set to fulfil their manager’s desire. They have offered him a lucrative deal that will see his wages rise to an outstanding £700,000 per week, which is more than £36 million per year.
Meanwhile, Liverpool decided that they will not stand in Henderson’s way as he wants to leave. The 33-year-old has already expressed the desire to leave and join Gerrard’s team. While the Merseyside club are ready to let him leave, they did not want to lose out on another midfielder for free.
As a result, Al Ettifaq have been negotiating with the English club, and they have managed to get a breakthrough. The Merseyside club are expected to let their skipper leave for a fee of around £10 million with him having two years left on his deal.
While it will be a great addition to the Al Ettifaq ranks, Liverpool will be forced to sign another midfielder to fill the void left by their skipper. They can surely replace him on the field, but his leadership and experience cannot be replaced by a signing.
