Despite earning £12 million, Liverpool will have to solve a lot of problems when they rush to sell Jordan Henderson.

After Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Saudi Pro League, a series of stars such as: Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, N’Golo Kante … followed CR7’s footsteps. And the Al-Ettifaq club also does not want to stay out of the race on the market. After appointing coach Steven Gerrard, they continued to spend 12 million pounds to bring in another Liverpool legend: Jordan Henderson.

According to The Athletic, Jordan Henderson will receive a salary of up to £ 700,000 / week. It is true that only the Saudi Pro League pays such a high salary for an old general. The £12 million transfer fee also seems to be a bargain for The Kop when selling a player who has considered “retirement”.

Financially good, but not technically! Although Jordan Henderson is 33 years old, he is still an important player for coach Klopp’s team. In the 2023-24 season, he will certainly not be able to play much when the club has brought in Alexis Mac Allister or Dominik Szoboszlai. However, a person brave enough to lead a group of stars is not always available.

Therefore, for Liverpool, Henderson’s departure leaves a big gap in the squad.

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Reasonable deal with Henderson

It’s hard to blame Henderson for this transfer! The English midfielder has entered the other side of the slope of his career. Meanwhile, Liverpool have brought in a lot of stars for the midfield, both young and talented. Henderson’s chances of playing will certainly decrease significantly. In addition, with the 4-fold salary increase that Al-Ettifaq offered, the offer to Saudi Arabia was too attractive.

Only a small ‘ripple’ in this deal is the fact that Henderson has often spoken out in support and called for rights for the LGBTQ+ community. Therefore, when learning that the English midfielder joined Al-Ettifaq, the LGBT+ group Kop Outs shared that they were “astonished and worried for him”.

Looking back on his career, the 33-year-old midfielder has won every noble title with Liverpool. With a completed career, he has no problem in Europe. In particular, Henderson is also paid a huge amount of money, contributing to a national championship that is in the process of “makeover”. Above all, waiting for him is Gerrard – a former Liverpool teammate.

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Liverpool pushed the seniors too fast

Liverpool are in a restructuring phase and the sale of players who are no longer at their peak is a necessity. In the opposite direction, they brought in Mac Alistister and Szoboszlai – players who promise to become pillars in the future. They only need one more defensive midfielder to complete shaping the midfield for the coming seasons.

However, the loss of players like Milner and Henderson could adversely affect the stability of the team at Merseyside. Coach Klopp’s style is not only based on technique and tactics but also from spirit and encouragement. Henderson is particularly valuable in this respect. Although he is not a player with superior technical skills, he is a true leader; is a symbol of Liverpool’s success over the years. From a player who was judged as a ‘wrong buy’, Henderson made efforts, changed his playing style, gradually asserted himself and then became Liverpool’s captain.

Although Liverpool are actively active in the transfer market, finding an individual as powerful as Henderson is a big challenge.

Is Henderson still strong enough to play at the top?

Henderson’s career isn’t over yet! Liverpool adjusted their tactics towards the end of the 2022-2023 season and produced a steady stream of achievements to end the season. They have up to 10 unbeaten matches and almost won a ticket to the Champions League.

In this change, people usually only notice Trent Alexander-Arnold when he is pushed into central midfield. However, Henderson’s ability to keep the pace smart and move flexibly at the top of midfield made the new style of play work.

At 33, Henderson can’t make sudden changes or bring anything new. However, he is a reliable player to revive the whole team or take on the role of ‘silent hero’ in The Kop’s play. With a Liverpool in need of depth in the midfield and having let three midfielders go before, keeping Henderson should have been a priority.

As a very conservative club, Liverpool have no problem with financial fair play. Henderson’s weekly salary is £190,000 and has two years left on his contract. Therefore, selling him will not help the club save more.

View from Arabia

From Al-Ettifaq’s side, Henderson is an iconic rookie. They are just a mid-range club in the Saudi Pro League and are not in the list of 4 teams funded by the Public Investment Fund. Gerrard is not a top coach and Henderson is not a game changer like Karim Benzema or Cristiano Ronaldo. But, the transfer negotiation with Liverpool is the ‘money-eating’ factor. Although only a mid-range team in the Saudi Pro League, Al-Ettifaq can convince Liverpool to sell the captain… So what player can’t they buy!?

After winning the treble with Manchester City, Riyad Mahrez came to Arabia. Last season’s La Liga champion – Franck Kessie also could not resist the attraction from the Saudi Pro League. Henderson’s huge salary may soon become ‘popular’ in the next few days.

Unlike Messi coming to MLS, Ronaldo couldn’t make Saudi Pro League followers skyrocket overnight. However, his arrival brought Benzema, Kante, Ruben Neves and half of the Chelsea bench. The Arab rookie star collective will certainly turn the national championship into special attention in the 2023-24 season.

The stars they brought in were on the slopes of the other side of their careers, but they were still the mainstays of the big clubs in Europe. Splash money to receive stars and use stars to increase attraction. That’s what this tournament wants.

What should Liverpool do now?

Liverpool had a rather disappointing 2022-23 season when they had to play in the Europa League. Therefore, the 2023-24 season is even more important for The Kop as they not only have to rebuild their squad, compete in the Europa League and find their way back to the Champions League. However, the race to the top 4 is getting more and more difficult as Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all invest heavily.

A player like Federico Valverde could bring hope to the Kop. However, this expensive deal is very unlikely because Liverpool have refused to ‘break the safe’ for Jude Bellingham before. Caicedo has also been contacted by the club but Chelsea appear to be the front-runners in the race for his signature.

Therefore, Henderson’s departure may have a psychological impact on teammates at The Kop. They can only comfort each other that at least the captain has not joined another Premier League club.

Other big teams in Europe beware! Your captain may be on the list of clubs in Saudi Arabia.