The former English Liverpool club captain and current Saudi Al-Ettifaq player, Jordan Henderson, is close to terminating his contract with his Saudi team and joining the Dutch giant Ajax, in a move described as “destroying his image and the image of the Saudi League.”
British media outlets, including Sky News, reported on Wednesday that the English international player “is close to terminating his contract by mutual consent with the Saudi Al-Ettifaq Club,” which is led by English coach and Liverpool legend, Steven Gerrard.
The famous sports journalist Fabrizio Romano also explained, through his account on the “X” platform, that Henderson had reached an agreement with the Dutch club Ajax, according to which he would join the team until June 2026.
Romano confirmed that the agreement was reached between all parties, and the player will leave for Amsterdam, Thursday, to undergo medical examinations, before the deal is officially announced.
Henderson joined the Saudi agreement last summer, among a group of stars that joined the Kingdom, including Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, Senegalese Sadio Mane, Brazilian Neymar Jr., Serbian Milinkovic-Savic, Portuguese Ruben Neves, and others.
In an article for the newspaperGuardianBritish journalist Jonathan Wilson pointed out that the rapid departure of the former Liverpool captain from the agreement “badly destroys his image and the image of the Saudi League.”
Wilson pointed to the great controversy that followed Henderson’s joining the Saudi League, due to the positions of the player known for his support for gay rights, as he faced criticism from human rights groups because of his decision to play in the Kingdom, which criminalizes homosexuality.
They accused him of “treason”… a fierce attack on the Liverpool captain because of the Saudi move
England national team star and Liverpool club captain Jordan Henderson is subjected to fierce attacks and harsh criticism as his transfer deal to the Saudi club Al-Ettifaq approaches.
The journalist also pointed out that Henderson’s move is “very bad” for the Saudi Professional League, explaining that the Kingdom has attracted only one player from Europe in the current winter transfer period, Renan Lodi, who joined Al Hilal, adding, “If 30 million pounds sterling had not been possible (it would not have been decided) “For Henderson to get paid to keep a 33-year-old, maybe no amount of money can do that.”
He continued, saying that when Henderson decided to leave, “he not only destroyed his reputation, but the reputation of the entire project,” referring to the Saudi championship.
Henderson lives in the Bahraini capital, Manama, a 75-minute drive from the Saudi team’s training headquarters in Dammam.
The British newspaper “The Times” reported on Wednesday that Henderson had already left his Saudi club’s camp in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, heading to Britain after talks with the team’s coach.
Al-Ittifaq Club occupies eighth place in the Saudi League with 25 points from 19 matches, and Henderson participated as a starter in 17 of them, during which he assisted 4 goals, but did not score.
2024-01-18 05:46:00
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