Liverpool have confirmed a £12m/$15.6m transfer deal to sell captain Jordan Henderson to Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq.
The England international joins the expanding list of star names heading to the Middle East, after 12 seasons at Anfield, including eight as first team captain.
The move sees Henderson reunite with his former Reds teammate Steven Gerrard, following his appointment as Al Ettifaq head coach, but the switch has been dominated by controversy for the veteran midfielder.
Henderson has been criticised by some for making the move based on his previous support for the LGBTQI+ community, his commitment to the Rainbow Laces campaign in Premier League action and the One Love armband initiative on England duty, with Saudi Arabia facing global criticism for their human rights record and LGBTQI+ legislation.
MORE: The biggest transfers to the Saudi Pro League so far
Jordan Henderson Al Ettifaq video announcement controversy
Henderson's decision to swap the Premier League for the Saudi Pro League has placed him at the centre of a debate over the role of footballers as ambassadors for social and political causes.
During his time as leader of Liverpool, and previously England, Henderson frequently spoke out in support of the LGBTQI+ community and voiced his concern over fans feeling unsafe attending games, including interacting with supporters on social media.
Hi Joe great to hear you enjoyed the game as you should. No one should be afraid to go and support their club or country because football is for everyone no matter what. Thanks for your support, enjoy the rest of the Euros. 💪🏻🏳️🌈 https://t.co/xHqXgDj1h7
— Jordan Henderson (@JHenderson) June 30, 2021
He also led a Premier League captains campaign to wear rainbow laces and armbands for selected games and called on the Premier League to do more to promote inclusion and progressivity within the game.
You’ll never walk alone Keith. If wearing the #RainbowLaces armband helps even just one person then it’s progress. Everyone is welcome at Liverpool Football Club. Hope you enjoyed the game tonight. #YNWA https://t.co/TfIhASribZ
— Jordan Henderson (@JHenderson) December 6, 2020
However, his decision to accept a move to a play in a nation where same sex relationships are criminalised has been slammed by fan groups connected with Liverpool and England.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar saw FIFA warn teams against wearing any item that contained the rainbow flag colours, with Qatari state rules similar to some of those in Saudi where state media reported last year that rainbow-coloured toys and clothes were removed from stores in Saudi Arabia because authorities say they “promote homosexual colours."
Alongside those examples, Al Ettifaq have also been accused by some of editing Henderson's social media arrival videos, to replace the colouring with black and white, to remove examples of him wearing the rainbow armband.
In the video, the captain's armband is black and white while the rest of the moving images are in colour.
Al Ettifaq have not responded to the claims at this stage with no official comment indicating the content of the videos were produced with the alleged intention.
Has the colour scheme of this video has been edited to avoid showing a rainbow armband? https://t.co/CfdbRneX4W
— Adam Crafton (@AdamCrafton_) July 27, 2023
Brings it home when you see that rainbow armband he was fond of wearing switched to greyscale for welcome video. https://t.co/vxqJARIP78
— tariq panja (@tariqpanja) July 27, 2023
Jordan Henderson to Al Ettifaq transfer fee, contract
Alongside a £12m/$15.6m paid to Liverpool, Al Ettifaq have also made a significant investment in Henderson's contract, with a deal signed until 2026
As per widespread reports, including from The Guardian, Henderson will earn an eye-watering £700,000/$900,000 a week at Al Ettifaq, with an annual salary of just under £36.5m/$46.9m.
Star transfers to Saudi Arabia
Anderson Talisca was one of the first well-known names to join the Saudi Pro League. He moved to Al Nassr following a few years in China.
Cristiano Ronaldo helped the league gain more traction as he left Manchester United to also join Al Nassr after the 2022 World Cup.
Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema is set to earn £84m ($107m) per year for three years at Al Ittihad. World Cup winner N'Golo Kante will reportedly make £67.6m ($86m) per year across his four-year contract.
| Player | New Club | Transfer fee | Date Joined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Henderson | Al Ettifaq | £12m ($15.6m) | July, 2023 |
| Malcom | Al Hilal | £51.5m ($66.9m) | July, 2023 |
| Romain Saiss | Al-Sadd | £2.2m ($2.8m) | July, 2023 |
| Alex Telles | Al Nassr | Free | July, 2023 |
| Seko Fofana | Al Nassr | £21.6m ($27.8m) | July, 2023 |
| Sergej Milinkovic-Savic | Al Hilal | £34.2m ($44.6m) | July, 2023 |
| Roberto Firmino | Al Ahli | Free | July, 2023 |
| Marcelo Brozovic | Al Nassr | £15.4m ($19.6m) | July, 2023 |
| Jota | Al Ittihad | £25m ($31.7m) | July, 2023 |
| Edouard Mendy | Al Ahli | £16m ($20.2m) | June, 2023 |
| Karim Benzema | Al Ittihad | Free | June, 2023 |
| N'Golo Kante | Al Ittihad | Free | June, 2023 |
| Ruben Neves | Al Hilal | £47.1m ($60m) | June, 2023 |
| Kalidou Koulibaly | Al Hilal | £15.7m ($20m) | June, 2023 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Al Nassr | Free | January, 2023 |
| Anderson Talisca | Al Nassr | £6.9m ($8.8m) | July, 2021 |