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.

Henderson will reunite with his former boss Steven Gerrard, who is currently in charge of Al-Ettifaq, and may earn £700,000 a week as a result of the move. Henderson has drawn heavy criticism for his imminent move and will be the most well-known English footballer to play for a Saudi Pro League squad.

The question of who will succeed him as captain is raised by the fact that he was not present on Wednesday when Liverpool overcame Karlsruher 4-2 in a preseason friendly in Germany. Mirror Football considers five options in this case.

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

Salah would be a solid candidate to succeed Henderson as captain because he has established himself as Liverpool’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League and is a true Liverpool legend.

In addition to leading his national team, Salah has previously expressed a desire to lead Liverpool. He was “very disappointed” when Jurgen Klopp did not choose to declare him captain for a Champions League match against Midtjylland in 2020, but could the Egyptian King take on the responsibility in 2019–2020?

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.”