Liverpool could gain 'healthy' Jordan Henderson windfall as Jurgen Klopp responds to Saudi Arabia exit talk

Jordan Henderson reportedly wants to leave Saudi Arabia less than six months after his £12 million move away from Anfield last summer. The former Liverpool captain made the lucrative transfer to Al-Ettifaq to be reunited with Steven Gerrard and left a huge stir in his wake.

The move forced a divide between Henderson and a large percentage of Reds fans, particularly those within the LGBTQ+ community. Now, the 33-year-old is looking for a way out after struggling to settle into his new environment.

Along with Al-Ettifaq's recent run of poor form, which currently has them without a win in eight league games, Henderson has found it difficult to adjust to playing in the heat and humidity. The low fan turnout for home fixtures — an average of 7,800 in a 35,000 capacity venue — has also been far from motivating for the England international.

Henderson's contract with the Saudi Pro League side runs until 2026 but he is already looking for a way out and will 'seriously consider' any offers Ettifaq might receive during the January window.

His exit may not be as smooth as he might want, though. A new update from journalist Ben Jacobs claims that the club have not received any interest in Henderson and they will only entertain the idea of a sale if they receive an 'incredible offer' for his services. Ettifaq also haven't been 'directly informed' that Henderson wants to leave, therefore their stance is that he is 'not for sale' this window.

If a move does materialise, it's likely Henderson will need to take a pay cut. Jacobs reports that the midfielder's salary is 'not as high as some reports suggest' but he is still earning what has been described as 'a top-end Premier League wage'. This, teamed up with the fact Ettifaq apparently 'don't have a big budget' and initially wanted to wait to sign Henderson for free, suggests it won't be easy for an exit deal to be agreed.

However, the good news for Liverpool is that they will benefit from any future sale of their ex-captain that Ettifaq agree to. The Reds are entitled to a sell-on percentage, which is expected to be 'quite a healthy one'. Any extra money pocketed this year will contribute to Jurgen Klopp's own recruitment drive as his side push for silverware once again.

The boss himself has since admitted he has been in contact with Henderson but seemingly dismissed the talk of him looking to leave Al-Ettifaq.

"Did Hendo have a press conference and say [he wants to leave]? So it is just written?" Klopp responded after being asked about the situation following Liverpool's 2-0 win over Arsenal in the FA Cup on Sunday.

"That means for me it is not existing. He hasn't called me. We spoke actually but not about that but I really have nothing to say about that."