Jordan Henderson agrees to RIP UP £700k-a-week Al Ettifaq deal and will take 75 per cent pay cut to seal Ajax transfer

JORDAN HENDERSON has reached an agreement to leave Al-Ettifaq as he closes in on a move to Ajax.

The England star and former Liverpool captain is set to terminate his £700,000-a-week contract in Saudi Arabia.

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Jordan Henderson is set to leave Al-Ettifaq and join Ajax[/caption]

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The move looks set to guarantee his Euro spot with England[/caption]

And the Athletic claims Henderson will take a whopping 75 per cent pay cut to seal a move to Amsterdam – still pocketing him £175k a week.

The 33-year-old only moved to Al-Ettifaq in July, meaning his Middle Eastern adventure has lasted just six months.

The midfielder, who signed a three-year deal, played 19 times under former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard.

But he is returning to Europe after reportedly struggling to settle in his new surroundings, and has already quit Al-Ettifaq’s training camp in Dubai.

He now faces paying 20 per cent in Saudi tax, as he was required to stay in the country for two years before his £700k weekly earnings became tax-free.

It’s also reckoned Henderson would be handed a massive £7m tax bill if a move to Ajax falls through and he ends up returning to the Premier League instead.

That’s because he has spent less than a year abroad, and according to UK tax laws must give up a 45 per cent chunk of his earnings.

Henderson was heavily criticised by LGBTQ+ groups for his controversial £12million switch, with Saudi Arabia known for its poor human rights record.

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Homosexuality is also punishable by death.

And Henderson, who was a vocal supporter of the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign during his 12 years at Anfield, eventually said “sorry” for “hurting” the LGBTQ+ community.

But he also insisted he had moved to Saudi in an attempt to bring about cultural “change.”

Henderson added: “My intention has always been to help causes and communities where I felt like they have asked for my help.

“Now, when I was making the decision, the way that I tried to look at it was I felt as though, by myself not going, we can all bury our heads in the sand and criticise different cultures and different countries from afar.

“But then nothing’s going to happen. Nothing’s going to change.”

Henderson won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup after making 492 appearances for Liverpool.

The veteran will now be hoping for success at Ajax, who have plummeted down the Dutch table after losing numerous top players in the past several seasons.

After winning the Eredivisie title in 2022, they finished third last season and are currently fifth with just eight wins in 17 matches.

Playing closer to home should guarantee Henderson’s place in England’s squad for Euro 2024.

He has been capped 81 times by his country following his debut in 2010.

Henderson has featured heavily under current boss Gareth Southgate and was even called up while playing for Al-Ettifaq.

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