Jordan Henderson has accepted a huge contract offer from Al-Ettifaq after talks with Jürgen Klopp but the deal depends on the Saudi Arabian club’s willingness to meet Liverpool’s asking price for their captain.
Al-Ettifaq had hoped to sign the 33-year-old midfielder on a free transfer but Liverpool are demanding £10m and the clubs are due to discuss the fee. Henderson has given a verbal agreement in principle to Al-Ettifaq’s proposal and if the transfer goes through he will end a 12-year stay at Anfield.
The England international had talks on Thursday with Klopp, who has signed two midfielders this summer – Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister – and was pursuing a third even before Al-Ettifaq’s interest in Henderson. Roméo Lavia is on Liverpool’s shortlist but no bid has been made for the Southampton player and the club are also working on other options.
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Henderson made 43 appearances for Liverpool last season and has two years on his contract. Al-Ettifaq are managed by his former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard.
Liverpool’s official LGBT+ fans’ group, Kop Outs, has condemned Henderson’s potential move to Saudi Arabia and Gerrard for managing in a country where homosexuality is illegal. Henderson has been a staunch supporter of the LGBTQ+ community as Liverpool’s captain – being nominated as Football Ally at the LGBT Awards in 2021 – and has written in his programme notes about standing “shoulder-to-shoulder” with anyone who feels excluded.
“Kop Outs have valued the allyship shown by @Jhenderson,” a statement said. “We are appalled and concerned that anyone might consider working for a sportswashing operation for a regime where women & LGBT+ people are oppressed and that regularly tops the world death sentence table …
“Gerrard’s participation in this sportswashing is particularly galling given his previous support for LA Galaxy teammate Robbie Rogers [who came out as gay in 2013]. When someone’s made a fortune, should money tempt them to go to work? Maybe they should be asking themselves those questions. We hope that Jordan Henderson proves to be a man of his word and stays true to the values of our club, which so far he has been an absolute embodiment of.”
