The oil-rich Saudi soccer league lost one of its famous players on Thursday when England midfielder Jordan Henderson left Al-Ettifaq to join Ajax.
Former Liverpool captain Henderson only stayed in Saudi Arabia for six months after signing lucrative contracts to move there with other famous players like Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo.
That wasn’t plenty for the 33-year-old Henderson, who hasn’t settled in the Middle East and sees a return to European football as crucial to securing his spot in England’s team ahead of the European Championship this summer.
Jordan, welcome to Ajax ❌❌❌ pic.twitter.com/nAZhQACt5E
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) January 18, 2024
Henderson, who has played 81 games for England, failed to inspire his side in Saudi Arabia. Al-Ettifaq presently sits seventh in the Saudi Pro League.
Henderson’s transfer to Amsterdam will result in a significant pay cut. His three-year deal in Saudi Arabia reportedly earned him 700,000 pounds ($900,000) every week. Salaries are far lower than those at Ajax, however, the club has raised wages in recent years to compete with high-spending clubs elsewhere in Europe.
This season, the four-time European winner has struggled to remain competitive domestically. Ajax is returning to the upper levels of the Dutch top flight Eredivisie following a terrible start to the season, which saw the club break ties with coach Maurice Steijn after winning only one of its first seven matches.