As Jordan Henderson closes in on a move to Ajax from Al-Ettifaq, a quirk in his contract in Saudi Arabia means he may not earn a penny for his time there.
The most poorly handled transfer in many years, Henderson’s controversial switch from Liverpool to Al-Ettifaq last summer has proved a disaster.
Now, the 33-year-old has agreed to terminate his contract with the Saudi Pro League club and is heading to the Eredivisie with Ajax instead.
Henderson is expected to undergo a medical on Thursday before signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Dutch club.
The midfielder will take a significant cut on the his tax-free wages of £350,000 a week to join Ajax – though, according to the Telegraph, he may not be paid at all by Al-Ettifaq.
He is said to have agreed deferrals on payments in Saudi Arabia in order to “return to Britain to play for England in the short term, unrestricted by the time limitations placed on those without UK taxpayer status.”
“Under UK law, an individual is considered resident for tax purposes if they spend more than 90 days in the country,” it is explained.
Therefore he has not yet been paid by Al-Ettifaq and, according to the Telegraph, “sources close to the player say that the expectation is that he will not be.”
That shows the severity with which Henderson saw his situation in Saudi Arabia, having pushed through his exit to Ajax in the knowledge that he may lose over £9 million in wages.
It also explains why he would have been unable to join another club in the Premier League or the Championship, as moving back to the UK would require him to pay back any tax-free earnings in the event he receives payments from Al-Ettifaq.
In short, then, Henderson damaged his reputation to join the Saudi Pro League exodus, playing in front of crowds of under 1,000, without being paid for the privilege.
Now he is set to embark on a new challenge with Ajax, who are currently fifth in the Eredivisie and 23 points off leaders PSV Eindhoven.
As detailed by the Telegraph, “it is expected that Henderson will explain his reasons behind leaving Saudi at some point.”
That could be an eye-opening interview, with there a chance the former Liverpool captain also gives a more candid response to questions on why he joined Al-Ettifaq in the first place.
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