Liverpool hold firm on terms of Jordan Henderson Saudi Arabia exit

Liverpool and Al-Ettifaq are not close to an agreement for the transfer of Jordan Henderson with the matter of a transfer fee being the major issue.

The skipper has two years remaining on his contract at Anfield but has decided he wants to link up with Liverpool icon, Steven Gerrard, in Saudi Arabia.

Many fans are content with the former Sunderland star leaving but it would appear that Al-Ettifaq do not want to sanction a fee to sign the midfielder.

What's the latest on Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia?

According to Fabrizio Romano, while terms have been agreed between Henderson and Al-Ettifaq, there is yet to be an agreement struck between the two clubs over a transfer fee.

In 2021, Henderson penned a fresh three-year contract worth £190,000 per week but the Englishman is ready to move on from his fairytale Liverpool career.

Taking to Twitter, Romano reports: “Liverpool and Al Ettifaq remain in talks for Jordan Henderson but there’s still no agreement between clubs.

“Main issue: Saudi club was convinced to get Henderson on a free transfer when they started conversations. NO chance. Henderson agreed on three year deal, up to clubs.”

While Henderson leaving is a distinct possibility, with two years left on this contract, it's impossible for him to leave for free. Fabinho, who is also heavily linked with an exit this summer, is out of contract in 2026 and could leave for around £40M.

Is selling Jordan Henderson a good idea for Liverpool?

With Liverpool still short on senior midfielders, selling Henderson is a questionable decision.

There is a caveat and the same thing applies in Fabinho's case. Unless Liverpool are fully confident they can sign adequate replacements, it would be folly to let them leave.

At present, these are the midfield options available to Klopp if both midfielders leave this summer:

• Alexis Mac Allister
• Dominik Szoboszlai
• Thiago
• Harvey Elliott
• Curtis Jones

Given Thiago's injury record, it's also unwise to rely on him to play the bulk of games this season.

Liverpool would need, at minimum, another three midfielders in this scenario and with Henderson unlikely to generate a huge fee, FSG will need to sanction unexpected amounts of cash to complete the necessary transfers.

And this doesn't take into consideration that Klopp's squad could also do with another defender.

All told, selling Henderson is a specifically risky move even if the midfielder is unlikely to play the 2,500 minutes he received last season should he stay.