Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson 'completes Al-Ettifaq medical'

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson ‘completes his Al-Ettifaq medical in Manchester’ ahead of £12m move to Steven Gerrard’s Saudi side

• Jordan Henderson underwent his medical in Manchester on Friday 
• The 33-year-old is set to sign a three-year contract worth £700,000-a-week
• The Saudi Pro League outfit are managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has moved a step closer to a £12million ($15.4 m) move to Steven Gerrard’s Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ettifaq after completing his medical.

The 33-year-old midfielder is set to sign a three-year contract worth £700,000-a-week – ending his illustrious 12-year career at Anfield.

Henderson underwent his medical in Manchester on Friday and is now waiting on paperwork for the deal to go through, according to The Athletic.

He is then expected to link up with his new team-mates at their pre-season training camp in Croatia next week.

Liverpool’s captain was left out of his side’s 4-2 win in Karlsruhe on Wednesday night after Al-Ettifaq came back to the table with an offer the Anfield club were happy to accept. Henderson had held discussions with manager Jurgen Klopp earlier in the afternoon and the decision was mutually agreed.

Liverpool have agreed a deal in principle with Al-Ettifaq to sell Jordan Henderson for £12m

Jurgen Klopp left the midfielder out of the squad to take on Karlsruher on Wednesday night

Steven Gerrard’s side have agreed terms that would see Henderson earn £700,000-a-week

Al-Ettifaq, who do not have financial backing from the Public Investment Fund unlike Saudi’s four top clubs, were initially reluctant to come up with a transfer fee but after things stalled over the weekend they returned with a structure and timing of payments that met with Liverpool’s approval

Henderson, as Mail Sport reported last week, has been offered a contract worth in the region of £700,000 per week.

It has been a tumultuous fortnight for the 33-year-old, who had spoken at length with Klopp in that period. 

It is understood some of those discussions revolve around his playing time next season and what his role would be going forward.

Klopp is well aware of how difficult Henderson finds being out of the team and the player would worry, too, about what a lack of minutes would mean for his place in the England set-up – he has spoken to Gareth Southgate, too, about how he would view a switch to a lesser league in Saudi.

Klopp has already allowed one key midfielder in Fabinho to stay at home while he debates a £40million move to Al-Ittihad and the prospect of not having the Brazilian or Henderson around for the season opener at Chelsea is not something he would have considered.

Aside from that, Al-Hilal have registered an interest in Luis Diaz with a fee of £50million being mooted for the Colombia international but Liverpool have no plans to sell.

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