Henderson: Al-Ettifaq agree deal worth £12m for Liverpool captain

Jordan Henderson played alongside Steven Gerrard after he joined Liverpool in 2011
Liverpool have agreed a deal in principle worth £12m plus add-ons to sell captain Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq.

Henderson travelled to Germany with Liverpool for their training camp but was not involved in their 4-2 friendly win over Karlsruher.

The England midfielder, 33, has two years left on his contract at Anfield.

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was recently appointed as manager of Al-Ettifaq.

The agreement for Henderson follows Liverpool receiving a £40m offer from Al-Ittihad for fellow midfielder Fabinho last Friday.

Unlike Henderson, the 29-year-old Brazil international did not travel to Germany while his future is resolved.

A number of high-profile players have moved to Saudi Arabia this summer, including former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema and ex-Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante.

Former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino joined Al-Ahli after his Anfield contract expired, and Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez has also been linked with the club.

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Henderson joined Liverpool from Sunderland in a deal worth £20m in June 2011.

Henderson made 43 appearances for the Reds last season as they endured a disappointing campaign, finishing fifth in the Premier League and missing out on a place in the Champions League.

Overall, he has played 492 times for the Reds, scoring 33 goals and registering 57 assists.

Henderson was captain when Liverpool won the Champions League in 2019 before going on to win the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup later that year.

He was also the Reds skipper when the club won the 2019-20 Premier League title to end a 30-year wait for the English top-flight title.

Henderson’s other honours at Liverpool include winning the FA Cup in 2022 and League Cup in 2012 and 2022.

Henderson has been criticised by LGBTQ+ campaigners over the proposed move, as same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Saudi Arabia. The player has publicly supported the LGBTQ+ community in the past.