Jordan Henderson might have just given Liverpool the ultimate unexpected transfer boost

It came as a bolt from the blue when Liverpool's only Premier League-winning captain opted to ditch Anfield for Al-Ettifaq.

But it might not come as a shock that Jordan Henderson is supposedly ready to curtail his time in Saudi Arabia. After just six months, Henderson is reportedly looking for an escape route from the Gulf state and seeks a return to the Premier League or elsewhere in Europe.

At the start of last summer's transfer window, scarcely anyone would have predicted Henderson would be a target for the Saudi Pro League. The petrodollar-fuelled league was aggressively targeting some of the biggest names in football after prising Cristiano Ronaldo the previous January. Karim Benzema made the switch from Real Madrid while Roberto Firmino turned down a new Liverpool contract to also head to the Middle East. Neymar, N'Golo Konate and Ruben Neves were among others. Lionel Messi, however, snubbed the Saudi's best efforts to make him the highest-paid player in history.

Certainly, Henderson doesn't have the stardust of Ronaldo or Messi. Yet he was Liverpool's skipper. He was Jurgen Klopp's trusted lieutenant who led the Reds to their first Premier League title - a feat Steven Gerrard failed to achieve - along with the Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

Heading into the 2023-24 season, Henderson wasn't expected to play as much of a prominent role on the pitch. After a lacklustre 2022-23, with Liverpool finishing just fifth in the Premier League and failing to challenge for silverware, a midfield rebuild was paramount. Fresh legs and impetus was required. But after the arrivals of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, coupled with the exits of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, it appeared that the majority of business had been completed.

Certainly, Liverpool made a statement splashing out a combined £95 million for Szoboszlai and Mac Allister. They were earmarked to play prominent roles, which indeed they have become, while Henderson's game-time was set to be reduced at the age of 33. Liverpool also had Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic as youthful options to further develop.

However, the England international would have remained instrumental off the pitch while still contributing on it. Instead, when Gerrard - manager of Al-Ettifaq - called for a reunion in the desert, Henderson was keen. Eventually, he brought the curtain down on an 11-year Anfield career.

Liverpool have swiftly moved on - that's how football works. The Reds brought in Ryan Gravenberch, while Wataru Endo replaced Fabinho - who also opted to make the Saudi switch. Halfway through the season and Klopp's troops sit at the summit of the Premier League and are fighting for four trophies. There is no looking back.

Henderson, in stark contrast, is said to be ready to call it quits in Saudi. The grass has not proven greener. He's part of an Al-Ettifaq side that sit just ninth in the Saudi Pro League and have not won in nine matches. It is reported Henderson has struggled with the humidity in the Gulf state - along with the low crowd numbers. Al-Ettifaq play in a 35,000-seater stadium yet have an average gate of just 7,854 according to Transfermrkt. In October, just 696 fans watched Al-Ettifaq lose to Al-Riyadh.

Certainly, the Saudi Pro League is yet to take off in its own country. The growth of the worldwide audience may be even slower.

Henderson isn't the only former Liverpool player struggling. Firmino was adored by Kopites but he has too been linked with a Premier League return. The Brazil international has bagged only three times for Al-Ahli - and that was a hat-trick on debut.

And if Mo Salah was ever contemplating a move to Saudi then he may well be having second thoughts. Salah was targeted towards the end of the summer transfer window, with Al-Ittihad having a £150 million bid rebuffed by Liverpool.

To the Egypt international's credit, he's hardly been unsettled by the interest. Salah has raced to 18 goals in 27 appearances for the Reds this campaign, as well as recording nine assists. It's feasible that he may have his second-best season for Liverpool since scoring 44 times in his maiden 2017-18 campaign - and that's considering he's now missing for a period because of the African Cup of Nations.

But come the end of term, Salah will have a year left on his Anfield contract. It's widely expected that the former Chelsea winger - an icon in the Middle East - will again be coveted by the Saudis. In truth, sections of supporters may previously have been leaning towards cashing in on Salah. He'll be approaching the age of 32 and Liverpool may never get a better chance to land such a significant fee that could be reinvested.

However, Salah is not showing any signs of Father Time defeating him. He's in consummate physical condition and has the best sports science and nutrition teams around him. He could continue operating at the peak of his powers for several more years.

It's all well and good saying that taking a substantial offer for Salah, if there was to be one. But realistically, his goal contributions would be burdensome for anyone to replace.

As for Salah, would he really desire to swap from playing in front of 61,000 fans at Anfield - all of whom cherish his every action - for sparsely filed stadia? And with Liverpool back on track for Champions League qualification, there's the opportunity of facing Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and the rest of Europe's elite.

Only Salah would be able to decide. But there would be plenty to heed from Henderson's supposed decision.