Jordan Henderson transfer to Saudi Arabia 'very advanced'

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is in "very advanced" talks with a Saudi Arabian club, according to one report.

33-year-old Henderson made 43 appearances for the Reds in all competitions in 2022/23, including 35 in the Premier League, but faces added competition going into the new campaign following the signings of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Liverpool's midfield rebuild may not be finished with the £95m outlay either. Reports suggest that Jurgen Klopp and the club hierarchy are in the market for a new 'number 6', having been strongly linked to Southampton's Romeo Lavia in recent days.

As a result, there is talk that the club may look to sell players before bringing anyone else in — with Liverpool's trio of older midfielders (Thiago, Fabinho and Henderson) speculated as the most likely to be offloaded.

Now L'Equipe's Loic Tanzi reports that Al-Ettifaq — coached by Steven Gerrard — are looking to convince "several European stars including Henderson" of a move to the Saudi Pro League.

This is not the first time Henderson has been touted for a reunion with Gerrard in recent days. 90min were among those to report last week that Gerrard had made enquiries about his former Reds teammates Henderson and Philippe Coutinho — with the latter seeming more a plausible transfer.

While the L'Equipe report maintains that the Liverpool skipper's response to the supposed interest is still unknown, Tanzi followed up the piece with a tweet that read: "Some sources even announce that the file is very advanced."

A move could, in theory, suit both Henderson — who is to see his playing time diminished in 2023/24 — and Liverpool — who are looking to free up their wage bill. However, the player's availability, influence in the dressing room and position as one of the club's leaders would make a deal very surprising. Indeed, were the Reds to go down the route of selling an older player, Thiago — who has been linked with clubs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia — seems more a likely option due to his high wages and injury record.

Henderson's current Liverpool contract runs until 2025, with the player reported to be on around £140,000 a week.