Jordan Henderson’s departure from Liverpool looks set to officially take place in the near future, with the skipper having already said his goodbyes at the club.
The Englishman is understood to have already taken part in a medical ahead of his £13m switch to Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq this summer.
“Yeah, big news this, because Jordan Henderson has said goodbye to his Liverpool teammates and he should be confirmed as an Al-Ettifaq player by the end of the week,” Tim Thornton spoke on Sky Sports.
“It’s a controversial transfer across this one isn’t it? It’s a fee worth around £13m and it will bring to an end his 12-year stay at Anfield.
“He did seek clarity from Jurgen Klopp on how much game time he would get with Liverpool before making this decision.
“He joined the squad for the pre-season training camp but was left out of the opening friendly and then he said goodbye to his teammates before returning home to undergo a medical and finalise a move.
“We’re expecting the final legal details of this lucrative contract to be completed within the next 24 hours.”
Whether the 33-year-old will be joined by Anfield teammate Fabinho, for whom the Reds have accepted a £40m bid for from Al-Ittihad, remains to be seen amid alleged delays in the deal.
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It’s hard to take your eyes away from that number, isn’t it? 12 years at Liverpool Football Club.
12 years during which Henderson took over the armband from one of the greatest club captains of all-time, lifted the Premier League title after a 30-year hiatus and, arguably most importantly, stood up for the rights of the downtrodden.
Ahead of his departure to a country universally accepted to be an entirely unsafe space for members of the LGBTQI+ community, it’s hard not to feel disappointed.
It’s not just Liverpool fans the skipper’s letting down in his quest for increased minutes and, some have suggested, one big final payday.
We’ll always treasure the memories Henderson’s time at L4 granted us all, though it can’t be denied that his legacy will be forever tarnished by this stunning lack of sound judgement.
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Good on Hendo. Looking out for the only people he owes anything- himself and his family. Proper man