Last summer, England international Jordan Henderson, who was wanted to stay by manager Jurgen Klopp, feared his opportunities were dwindling. He moved to Saudi Arabia, hoping to persuade manager Steven Gerrard, a big salary and regular appearances.
However, after six months, he turned up the sound. Unable to cope with the Middle Eastern climate and poor team results, he sought a new home with Ajax in the Netherlands. He landed in Eredivisie with high expectations, but due to muscle injuries and other problems, he has played only seven games so far.
And the former Liverpool midfielder’s departure is uncertain. According to Dutch journalist Tim van Duijn, the player is needed by Ajax but is frustrated by the team’s poor mentality and quality and the lack of a top sporting culture in Amsterdam.
On the other hand, he also refers to the England midfielder’s performances. He pointed to the lack of results on the pitch and mentioned the fact that he was away from the team at a crucial time. He summarised the frustration on the part of the players and the failure to exceed the club’s expectations as an unfortunate outcome for both sides.
The veteran midfielder, who is also the team’s highest paid player, had hoped that Graham Potter would take over as manager in order to raise the level of the club, but talks between the club and the manager came to nothing and he has set his sights on another candidate to lead the club.
Thus, nothing has gone right since his move to Saudi Arabia, but the former Sunderland midfielder has two years left on his contract with Ajax. However, his departure has been questioned and talks with the technical director are said to be in the pipeline.
Will Henderson end up spending just six months in Holland as well…?