Ben Jacobs has explained why Jordan Henderson changed his mind about the possibility of transferring to Saudi Arabia after initially rejecting an offer from Al-Ettifaq.
The transfer of the Liverpool captain to the Middle East has been verbally agreed upon; nevertheless, talks between the two clubs are still ongoing about the potential transfer fee (Fabrizio Romano).
The 33-year-old had first decided against the transfer but had a change of heart after Steven Gerrard’s team countered with a more lucrative offer due to reasons other than financial gain.
“Henderson really rejected Al-Ettifaq’s first offer and told several within Liverpool’s senior management he was focused on the upcoming season and felt staying would best benefit his Euro 2024 hopes,” writes Jacobs in his exclusive Daily Briefing piece for CaughtOffside.
However, Al-Ettifaq returned with a better offer, and Henderson has since decided that taking advantage of the game time they can provide is preferable to remaining at Anfield.
Some cynics could argue that the midfielder’s desire to move to Saudi Arabia is mostly driven by the £700,000 weekly salary he would receive (The Athletic), but any worries he may have about his declining playing time at Anfield would be valid.
The arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai this summer increase the competition for a starting position for Henderson, who started six less Premier League games and played 529 fewer minutes last season than in 2021/22 (WhoScored).
Perhaps he believes that not starting frequently for Liverpool during the following season may hurt his England ambitions for Euro 2024 just as much as transferring to Al-Ettifaq would, and he has made the decision to do what he feels is best for his club career.
We can only guess at the Reds captain’s ultimate decision and the reasons behind it until he speaks out about the suggested transfer.
When Jurgen Klopp’s team plays Karlsruher in their first preseason friendly on Wednesday, there will be a lot of attention on Henderson and the role he plays.
It might provide a clearer idea of how much he might play for Liverpool this season, as well as whether he’ll still be at Anfield when the competitive action starts next month.