Reports of Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia have suddenly sprung up. The England midfielder rejected the initial offer, but due to his declining opportunities at Anfield, he accepted the huge offer that followed, reportedly worth £700,000 per week.
It is believed that he has already informed manager Jurgen Klopp of his intention to leave the club, and Liverpool have shifted their focus to finding a successor.
However, no agreement has been reached between the clubs, and it is expected that they will demand £20m, and it will be interesting to see how much money Al-Ettifaq will be able to pay for the player.
Biting on the huge contract from Saudi Arabia is Jermaine Pennant, a former England international who has played for Arsenal and Liverpool. He compared the Argentine national team’s leading ace and made a scathing comment that the salary was not worth the amount of money.
“It is crazy and I don’t know what they see in him. It is Jordan Henderson, it is not like they are trying to prise Lionel Messi away. It is just Jordan Henderson.”
“He has been a good captain for Liverpool but I don’t think he is a game-changer. His assists and goals, the numbers are very low.”
“You can’t argue with what he has done with Liverpool. He has been their captain, their leader, I get all that.”
“See you say that but you tell me a game that Jordan Henderson has been a standout player, or done something that has stood out, I can’t.”
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He spent three years at Liverpool, six months of which were spent on loan at Portsmouth. After failing to achieve notable results at Arsenal and Anfield, he then had a bit of a stint at Stoke City, but due to his poor behavior and other factors, he had an active career that took him from one club to another around the world, so one can’t help but feel jealous.
Although he is certainly inferior to Messi in terms of name value and marketing, he is one of the best in the world in terms of leadership and captaincy, and he is also one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
Pennant’s bias is fully contained, and one can’t help but feel that he has no sense in comparing himself to Messi. In fact, it remains to be seen if he can match the rumored salary, but he and coach Steven Gerrard have the ability to make Al-Ettifaq a powerhouse.
Will a trip to Saudi Arabia become a reality… We’ll keep an eye on the moves over the next few days, but you can ignore the words of the former Liverpool winger.