Klopp roars about Henderson return to Liverpool, with secret clause making transfer a win-win
Jurgen Klopp has spoken out on the prospect of Jordan Henderson returning to Liverpool this month, while a trusted source has divulged a key clause that makes any transfer a win-win for the Reds.
Henderson, 33, left Liverpool to join Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq over the summer. The Liverpool skipper had begun to slide down the pecking order at Anfield and was no longer a guaranteed starter despite wearing the captain’s armband.
Liverpool received a £12m offer that proved too good to ignore. The Reds didn’t hesitate to say yes even though the likes of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner had already left in the same window.
Henderson signed a lucrative contract worth roughly £700,000-a-week with Al-Ettifaq. However, the veteran midfielder is one of many stars who are already regretting their decision to leave Europe for the middle east.
The Daily Mail and Sky Sports both confirmed Henderson is already pining for a return to England.
Per the Mirror, Henderson has not settled in Saudi Arabia and has struggled to adapt well to playing in the heat and humidity in the country.
Furthermore, the small crowds Al-Ettifaq generate is believed to be another factor behind Henderson wanting to cut his Saudi stint short. Al-Ettifaq are not one of the four Saudi clubs backed by the Public Investment Fund.
As you might expect, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle among the plethora of clubs linked with Henderson by varying outlets.
The possibility of returning to Merseyside drew a response from Jurgen Klopp when speaking in the aftermath of Liverpool’s 2-0 FA Cup victory over Arsenal.
Klopp was quick to pour cold water on re-signing Henderson, suggesting there’s no truth in the speculation.
Klopp in contact with Henderson, but transfer a no-go
“Did Hendo have a press conference and say that? [No]. Oh, it’s just written,” said Klopp (as quoted by trusted reporter Ben Jacobs)
“That means for me it’s not existing. He didn’t call me. We spoke actually, but not about that. Really nothing to say about that.”
It would seem highly unlikely Henderson will return to England by way of joining Chelsea either. The 33-year-old is not the age or profile of player the Blues have targeted in the Todd Boehly era.
But if Henderson were to return to England, any permanent transfer would actually be beneficial for his former club.
Liverpool could receive “healthy” second profit
Taking to X, Ben Jacobs revealed Liverpool inserted a sell-on clause into Henderson’s contract with Al-Ettifaq.
While Jacobs did not reveal at what percentage the clause is set at, he did describe the clause as “quite a healthy one”.
A follow-up tweet from Jacobs shed light on Al-Ettifaq’s stance on cutting Henderson loose.
The Saudi side are reportedly in no mood to let the midfielder leave and would only sanction a sale if an “astronomical offer” were tabled.
That would be the dream scenario for Liverpool given the presence of the clause. Though in reality, no club will be making colossal offers for Jordan Henderson at this stage of his career.
