- Jordan Henderson joined Al-Ettifaq from Liverpool in July 2023 for a fee of £12 million
- He has struggled to establish himself and is now keen to return to English football
- CHRIS SUTTON: Being a great player doesn’t mean you’re a top manager. I put up cat towers at Christmas, but that doesn’t make me Nick Knowles… It all starts
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Jordan Henderson is keen to return to the Premier League, a shock move that could cost him millions of pounds in tax and wage losses.
The England midfielder has struggled to settle down since completing a £12million move from Liverpool to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ettifaq last summer and will seriously consider any offer the club receives this month.
Henderson’s problems have been compounded by Al Ettifaq’s poor form, which has seen manager Steven Gerrard come under pressure from the owners after a dreadful run in which his side failed to win in eight games dating back to November.
In another sign of disruption at the Dammam-based club, assistant manager Ian Foster resigned this week to take charge of Championship Plymouth Argyle.
Gerrard and Foster, who started his coaching career at the Liverpool Academy and previously worked for the FA, were both instrumental in convincing Henderson to move to Saudi Arabia last summer after a surprise transfer that did not go as planned.
Jordan Henderson is already considering leaving Saudi Arabia, six months after moving there
Steven Gerrard is under increasing pressure and he suffered another blow to his plans at Al-Ettifaq with the recruitment of his assistant coach Ian Foster (left) by Plymouth Argyle
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As well as adapting to a different lifestyle, the 33-year-old has also struggled with the heat and humidity of playing conditions, while Al Ettifaq’s average attendance this season of 7,800 in a 35,000 capacity stadium has proven less than inspiring.
The abuse he suffered for moving to Saudi Arabia in the first place, which was criticized as an alleged betrayal of the LGBTQ+ community, has also taken its toll.
Henderson is understood to have told his teammates that he is considering his options before taking a short break during the Saudi Pro League winter break.
Such is his dissatisfaction that he would consider taking a major pay cut and writing off millions in taxes if he receives a tempting offer from the Premier League. significant pay cut.
Although Henderson’s salary at Al Ettifaq is widely reported as an extraordinary £700,000 per week, the tax-free element only applies if Henderson fulfills the first two years of his contract.
If Saudi Arabia applies a flat income tax rate of 20 percent, Henderson would be left with a tax bill of around £7 million after six months.
The England international joined Al-Ettifaq in July, where he was reunited with Gerrard
The humidity is a concern for Henderson, as is the criticism he has faced over the move
Henderson has expressed his support for the rainbow lace campaign and ending LGBTQ+ discrimination in football during his time at Anfield. The criticism he has received since his move to Saudi Arabia is said to have taken its toll on the midfielder.
A return to the Premier League would also boost Henderson’s chances of being included in Gareth Southgate’s squad for this summer’s European Championship.
The England manager has kept Henderson loyal throughout this season’s qualifiers, although he was booed by fans at Wembley during a friendly against Australia in October. Playing at a higher level would increase his chances of making it to the tournament in Germany.
Gerrard’s future as manager at Al-Ettifaq is also up in the air during the break in the Saudi Pro League, which does not resume until the middle of next month.
Following an extraordinary £752 million spend last summer, 13 of the 18 clubs in the Saudi Pro League have already changed managers this season, with former Premier League stars Nuno Espirito Santo, Robbie Fowler and Igor Biscan all losing their jobs.
