Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson's move to Al Ettifaq could make big progress this weekend, according to a new update regarding his future.
What is the latest Jordan Henderson transfer news?
The 33-year-old has been a wonderful servant for the Reds over the years, arriving back in 2011 and initially suffering a tough spell at the club, with his exit even possible early on.
Henderson has grown as the years have passed, however, and he eventually became Liverpool skipper when Steven Gerrard departed in 2015. He has gone to win all there is to win for the Reds, including the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League the following year.
In total, the £140,000-a-week midfielder has racked up 492 appearances for the Reds as well as 77 caps for England in what has been a glittering career, being hailed as "world-class" by Micah Richards.
All of a sudden, though, it looks as though Henderson's Liverpool exit is imminent, with endless claims in recent days suggesting he wants to join Gerrard at Al Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia – and it is now a case of the two clubs agreeing a fee.
What has been said about Jordan Henderson's Liverpool future?
According to Football Insider, Liverpool are set to press ahead with sealing Henderson's exit over the weekend, as his time at Anfield seemingly reaches its conclusion:
"Liverpool will press ahead on Saturday with finalising the sale of Jordan Henderson to Al Ettifaq in a deal worth £82million in total.
"The Anfield skipper, 33, has agreed a two-year contract with the Saudi club that includes the option of a third year in a deal that will see his salary rise to £700,000 per week – more than £36million per year.
"The Saudi club are confident the move will now be completed soon, putting an end to the England international’s glittering 12-year Anfield career. Liverpool are expected to agree a fee of around £10million for their skipper, who has two years left on his deal."
The thought of Henderson no longer being at Liverpool is a strange one, but it does feel like this is the end, assuming an agreement is reached over the amount he leaves for this summer.
While the Englishman was way below his best last year and his past his peak as a footballer given his age, he still has plenty to offer for club and country, and could have taken up James Milner's squad role moving forward.
It looks as though Henderson isn't happy doing that, though, potentially being irked by no longer being seen as a key man, and if his move now doesn't go through, the situation could become awkward, having made it fairly clear that he wants to depart Anfield before the new Premier League season gets underway.
Ideally for Liverpool, Henderson would still end up staying put, even though he may have a bit of work to do in winning the fans back, but that would be a surprise at this point, and it feels far more likely that he has played his final game for the club following 12 memorable years at Anfield.
