Following the move of Jordan Henderson to Al Ettifaq, several reactions have come forth including that of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp has revealed that Liverpool wanted to keep Henderson at the club, but unfortunately they weren’t going to deny him a move away from the club.
Jordan Henderson joined Al Ettifaq on Thursday, July 27, 2023, completing a €14 million move to the Dammam based club.
The Englishman penned a three-year deal with the Saudi Arabian side, which would see him earn about £700,000 weekly.
Jordan Henderson to Al Ettifaq move has generated intense scrutiny
His move has put him in the way of massive criticism in England, with many pointing accusing fingers at him by slamming him to be an “hypocrite”.
This intense scrutiny is also as a result of him heading to a country where homosexuality is against the law.
Jordan Henderson has in the past supported the LGBTQ+ community and as such they feel he has transgressed from his stance.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has expressed how tough it will be to replace Henderson at Anfield, especially taking into consideration his personal skills and leadership characteristics.
The 33-year-old joined Liverpool on the 1st of July, 2011 from Sunderland for a fee of €18 million and he went on to make 492 appearances for the club.
Henderson represented Liverpool for a period of 12 years and he scored 33 goals and provided 61 assists in all competitions.
The 33-year-old became captain of Liverpool in 2015 and he led the Reds to remarkable successes, including; 1 Champions League title, 1 UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
He was also captain when the Merseyside based club won the Premier League title in the 2019/20 season, ending a 30-year wait for the English first-division title.
Jurgen Klopp was surprised about Jordan Henderson decision to leave Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp said he was surprised when Jordan Henderson declared his decision to leave Liverpool.
Klopp said: “Was I surprised when Henderson said he wanted to move on? Of course. We had a relationship for eight years.”
He also revealed Liverpool’s stance on keeping the England International, but they had no choice but to grant him his wishes.
Speaking in an interview, the German tactician said: “He knew the situation that we wanted to keep him but if he wanted to leave we weren’t going to throw rocks and stones in the way. It was about reacting to it.”
Jurgen Klopp also expressed that Liverpool would miss Henderson and likewise the midfielder, who will also miss the Anfeild club.
He said: “Jordan will miss us and we will miss him. We have to go on and we will. That is clear.”
Jordan Henderson became the fifth high profile name to leave the club this summer, having already witnessed the departure of Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Following Henderson’s departure, the resultant issue concerning, who the next captain of Liverpool will be hasn’t been sorted.
However, reports indicate that Dutch defender Virgil Van Dijk will be handed the captain’s armband going forward.
Brazilian Fabinho is edging closer to being amongst the departure list at the Anfield club, as he is on the verge of joining Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad.
Liverpool have a big void in midfield that must be sorted
This has resulted in a massive vacuum in the midfield of Liverpool, with the exit of first team regulars like Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Fabinho.
Jurgen Klopp has also pointed out the big void which must be covered if they are to better their performances last season.
Liverpool have already began to put round pegs in round holes with the signing of two midfielders this summer in Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.
Szoboszlai signed for Liverpool from RB Leipzig, while Alexis Mac Allister joined from Brighton and Hove Albion.
Klopp noted the importance to strengthen in midfield in addition to indicate that solutions are already been put in place.
He said: “It’s definitely important to strengthen in midfield.”
Speaking further, the 56-year-old said: “We are working on solutions. First people want changes, now everyone is worrying about the changes. We are really optimistic about it. Excited as well.”
Southampton highly-sought after midfielder Romeo Lavia remain on the radar of Liverpool.
The 19-year-old has made 34 appearances for the Saints, scoring 1 goal and providing 1 assist across all competitions.
