Jordan Henderson has arrived in Amsterdam to undergo a medical before completing his move to Ajax.
Henderson is set to sign a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Dutch giants after requesting his deal at Al-Ettifaq be terminated after he failed to settle in Saudi Arabia.
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The England international agreed to a highly lucrative move to the Middle East, to work under former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard, in July after 12 trophy-laden years at Anfield.
But he made just 17 Pro League appearances for an Al-Ettifaq side that has struggled for consistency this season.
Henderson will join an Ajax team that have also found things difficult at times. After sitting at the foot of the table in November they have rallied impressively and now lie fifth, albeit a whopping 23 points behind leaders PSV.
Jordan Henderson zette donderdag voet op Nederlandse bodem. Als hij de medische keuring doorstaat, staat niets een transfer naar Ajax in de weg. De 33-jarige middenvelder werd donderdagmiddag gespot bij luchthaven Schiphol.https://t.co/MSbR6FRUxY
— De Telegraaf (@telegraaf) January 18, 2024
The 33-year-old received plenty of criticism for initially moving to Saudi – a country that forbids same-sex relationships – given his previous support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Leaving after just six months makes his decision look even more questionable and former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes he has “messed it up”.
Murphy told talkSPORT: “I think it’s probably as close to home as he can get. I don’t know if there are an abundance of offers on the table. I think if this is a lesson for others looking in from afar, really think hard about it.
“Depending on your financial situation, sometimes it’s a no-brainer. But he was wealthy anyway, and I think football contentment is a starting place for the rest of your life being happy.
“There might be something other people translate to their own life. But Jordan here, he’s messed it up really. I don’t think from Liverpool fans’ perspective, but for a broad spectrum of football people, his character and his reputation has been damaged by this whole episode.”
