- Jordan Henderson joined Al-Ettifaq from Liverpool in July 2023 in a £12m move
- He has struggled to settle and is now eager to make a return to English football
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Jordan Henderson is eager to return to the Premier League in a shock move that would cost him millions of pounds in tax and lost wages.
The England midfield player has struggled to settle since completing a £12million transfer from Liverpool to Saudi Arabian side Al Ettifaq last summer and will seriously consider any offers the club receive this month.
Henderson’s problems have been compounded by Al Ettifaq’s poor form, which has seen manager Steven Gerrard come under pressure from the owners following a dreadful run that has seen his side fail to win in eight matches stretching back to November.
In another sign of disruption at the Dammam-based club assistant manager Ian Foster resigned this week to take charge at Championship Plymouth Argyle.
Gerrard and Foster, who began his coaching career at Liverpool’s Academy and previously worked at the FA, were both instrumental in persuading Henderson to move to Saudi last summer in a surprise transfer that has not worked out as planned.
In addition to adjusting to a different lifestyle the 33-year-old has also struggled with the heat and humidity of the playing conditions, while Al Ettifaq’s average attendance this season of 7,800 in a 35,000-capacity stadium has proved less than inspiring.
The abuse he has received for moving to Saudi in the first place, which has been criticised as an allegedly betrayal of the LGBTQ+ community, has also taken its toll.
Henderson is understood to have told team-mates he is considering his options before taking a short holiday during the Saudi Pro League’s winter break.
His discontent is such that he would consider taking a major pay-cut and writing off millions in tax if he receives a tempting offer from the Premier League, although with many clubs struggling to comply with the top flight’s spending restrictions he would have to take a significant pay cut.
While Henderson’s salary at Al Ettifaq has been widely reported as an extraordinary £700,000-a-week the tax-free element only applies if Henderson honours the first two years of his contract.
With Saudi Arabia operating a flat income tax rate of 20 per cent returning to England after six months would leave Henderson with a tax bill of around £7m.
A return to the Premier League would also boost Henderson’s prospects of being named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for this summer’s European Championship.
The England manager has kept faith with Henderson during this season’s qualifiers, although he was booed by fans at Wembley during a friendly against Australia in October, but playing at a higher level would aid his chances of making the tournament in Germany.
Gerrard’s future as manager at Al-Ettifaq is also up in the air during the break in the Saudi Pro League, which does not resume until the middle of next month.
Following an extraordinary £752m spending spree last summer 13 of the 18 clubs in the Saudi Pro League have already changed managers this season, with former Premier League stars Nuno Espirito Santo, Robbie Fowler and Igor Biscan all losing their jobs.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.