'It's not Lionel Messi!' - Ex-Liverpool star shocked at Henderson's Saudi move

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 14 Jul 2023 20:59 BST
• 3 min read

Jermaine Pennant has been left scratching his head at Jordan Henderson's imminent big-money move from Liverpool to Al-Ettifaq.

Steven Gerrard was recently appointed as Al-Ettifaq's new manager, and he has wasted little time in sounding out the player who succeeded him as Liverpool captain in Henderson.

The England midfielder has already agreed terms on a move - little wonder, perhaps, if reports of more than €800,000 a week are to be believed - with a transfer fee all that's left to be thrashed out between the clubs.

READ: England star closing in on 'life-changing' transfer

Al-Ettifaq had hoped to pick Henderson up a on free, but Liverpool are holding out for £10 million. The Saudi Pro league side seem likely to meet that request, but Gerrard's former Reds teammate Pennant doesn't think they should.

"It's crazy and I don't know what they see in him," he told Andy Goldstein on talkSPORT. "It's Jordan Henderson, it's not like they are trying to prise Lionel Messi away. It's just Jordan Henderson."

Journeyman Henderson?

Goldstein then gave Henderson a feint defence, to which Pennant replied:

"… tell me a game that Jordan Henderson has been a standout player, or done something that has stood out, I can't. Okay, he was there but I can't think of a game where I've thought, 'oh yeah, this is why we've signed Jordan Henderson.'"

READ: Liverpool star in SHOCK £40m deal to join Henderson in Saudi Pro League

Henderson captained Liverpool to Champions League glory in 2019 before leading them to their first Premier League title - and 19th English top-flight crown - in 2020.

Valued at €17.7m (£15.2m) by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, Henderson will leave Anfield with 492 games, 33 goals and 61 assists to his name.

Henderson is the first big-name player to leave Liverpool for Saudi Arabia, although it is understood that Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have made a £40m bid for his fellow midfielder Fabinho.