Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has an offer on the table to join Ajax as he looks to extricate himself from an unhappy spell playing in the Saudi Pro League.
Stories emerged earlier this month that the England midfielder was desperate to move away from Saudi Arabia having struggled to settle following his move from Anfield to play for former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq last summer – even though a departure would mean taking a significant hit in the wallet.
Juventus were reported last week to be keen on a move to secure Henderson’s signature, but they would face competition from another traditional giant of European football with Ajax boss John van ‘t Schip confirming he would like to take the 33-year-old to Amsterdam. To play for his side, you understand, not just for a wild night out on the town to help forget his troubles.
- 'I know the truth, I know what happened - 99 per cent of it is untrue. I don't need to sit here and defend. You don’t know the information' angry Jordan Henderson confronts Dutch press over rumours
- ‘Leaving Liverpool wasn’t easy – I was very comfortable and had three years remaining on my deal, so I didn’t need to go. But I’m happy with my decision’: Former Reds midfielder opens up on swapping Anfield for Saudi Arabia
The manager told ESPN Netherlands: "There is serious talk going on with Henderson. He still has some things to arrange in Saudi Arabia. It could be a nice match.
"It's no secret that we could really use that type of player. Other guys can benefit from that."
However, ESPN add that Al-Ettifaq are ‘reluctant’ to sanction a move due to concerns about how it would look for the club and the heavy investment made in the Saudi league as a whole.
If Ajax’s offer of a permanent move for a small transfer fee does not pan out, they are prepared to switch their attention to other targets.
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