Liverpool and Jordan Henderson have agreed to a deal worth £12 million plus add-ons, and Henderson is expected to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq this summer.

With the move, Henderson will rejoin with former colleague Steven Gerrard, who is now in charge of Al-Ettifaq, and may make £700,000 per week in salary. He will be the most well-known English player to play for a Saudi Pro League team, and Henderson has received harsh criticism for his upcoming move.

He was absent from the team on Wednesday when Liverpool defeated Karlsruher 4-2 in a preseason friendly in Germany, and his withdrawal raises the issue of who will take his place as captain. Here, Mirror Football examines five possibilities.

Virgil van Dijk

New signature After leading Liverpool in their exhibition match against Karlsruher, Dominik Szoboszlai has already suggested that Van Dijk might become the club’s new captain.

And the midfielder responded with an emoji that represented the letter C for captain when the Dutch defender posted a comment on a post uploaded by Szoboszlai. Van Dijk has additional advantages over Henderson, like being the captain of his country and being a lock to start when healthy.

Mohamed Salah

A true Liverpool legend, having become Liverpool’s all-time top scorer in the Premier League, Salah would also be a strong candidate to take over the captaincy from Henderson.

Salah also captains his national team and he has spoken of his desire to wear the armband for Liverpool before. Back in 2020, he was left “very disappointed” by Jurgen Klopp’s decision not to make him captain for a Champions League game against Midtjylland, but could the Egyptian King be given the role next season?

Trent Alexander-Arnold

When Salah was not made captain for that Champions League match, the armband was instead handed to local lad Alexander-Arnold.

The 24-year-old has been part of Liverpool’s ‘captains group’ since 2021 after a squad vote and could be handed more responsibility when Henderson leaves. Alexander-Arnold has also previously admitted that becoming a “leader would be something I’ve got my eye on.”

Allison

An incredibly well-respected figure in the dressing room, Alisson is also part of Liverpool’s ‘captains group’ and would be a popular choice for the role.

He previously captained Liverpool in a 2021 Champions League game against Porto and said it was an “honour” that his teammates picked him to do the job. “The players did a vote for this – for extra captains. It’s a pleasure, an honour for me, being captain of this team,” he said.

Andy Robertson

Another player who captains their national team, Robertson could also replace Henderson as Liverpool’s new skipper.

The left-back is one of the most vocal members of the squad and admitted in March that he now feels “comfortable” as a captain after five years leading Scotland. “I feel as if I’ve settled into the role,” he said. “I feel comfortable. I love being captain. I know when to speak to the players and when they need an arm around their shoulder, when staff need an arm around them. I will always be there for people.”