Jordan Henderson applauds after a game for Al-Ettifaq against Al-Ittihad in November 2023.

Jordan Henderson weighing up expensive move back to Premier League after unhappy Saudi Arabia experience: how much would former Liverpool midfielder have to pay?

January 6, 2024 Sports 18 Views

Jordan Henderson is reportedly willing to write off millions of pounds by bringing his stay in Saudi Arabia to a premature end.

The England midfielder made the move from Liverpool to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq in July, just weeks after former team-mate Steven Gerrard had been appointed as manager.

However, the Daily Mail claim that Henderson is struggling to settle in the country and will be ‘considering his options’, before adding that failing to see out the first two years of his contract would mean taking a massive tax hit worth around £7 million.

Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia drew widespread criticism in light of his previous efforts to present himself as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.

Homosexuality is treated as a criminal offence in Saudi Arabia, with potential sentences including corporal and capital punishment, but Henderson nonetheless opted to accept the big-money move.

The Mail add that the criticism has ‘taken its toll’ on Henderson and is a factor in his ill-feeling – as is a desire to strengthen his credentials in the England setup ahead of the Euros in Germany this summer, and his struggles to deal with the heat and humidity. If only any of those issues could have been foreseen.

The Saudi season is now in a winter break to help accommodate the Asian Cup, which will begin on Friday and run through to the middle of February.

Gerrard will then be faced with the task of turning around a poor run of form that has left his side winless since eking out a 98th-minute victory over Al-Wehda all the way back on October 28th.