17 January 2024 , 23:03
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Jordan Henderson is on the verge of signing for Ajax, but the England international could be denied his preferred shirt number once the move is confirmed.
The 33-year-old is set to have his Ajax medical on Thursday after Al-Ettifaq agreed to mutually terminate his contract - less than six months since his £12million move to Saudi Arabia last summer. Henderson has struggled to adapt to life in the Middle East, while the low attendances and standard of football has left a lot to be desired.
Henderson made 19 appearances for Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq, who have gone eight matches without a win in the Saudi Pro League dating back to early November. However, the midfielder has now found an escape route and is closing in on a return to Europe at Ajax.
Should the move be confirmed, Henderson's choice of shirt number could be rather intriguing. Henderson wore the No.14 jersey for the entirety of his 12-year stint at Liverpool, before surprisingly taking the No.10 shirt at Al-Ettifaq.
However, the No.14 shirt at Ajax is not available after it was retired in 2007 as a tribute to the late great Johan Cruyff, who formerly played and managed for the Amsterdam club. Meanwhile, Henderson's other preferred options are No.10 and No.8, but both are currently taken by Kenneth Taylor and Chuba Akpom.
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Henderson wore the No.16 shirt during his first season in the senior set up at Sunderland and that number is available, while the same applies for the No.18 shirt after he donned that on loan at Coventry. No.15 and No.20 are among the other shirt numbers available at Ajax.
Henderson wore No.8 for England in September (Getty Images)It emerged earlier this month that Henderson wanted to end his Saudi adventure after becoming one of several Premier League stars to join the exodus in the summer. The midfielder was hoping to secure a return to Europe ahead of this year's European Championships, and a move to Ajax emerged over the weekend, where coach John van 't Schip confirmed their interest.
Speaking before his side’s game with Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday, he told ESPN: "There is serious talk going on with Henderson. He still has some things to arrange in Saudi Arabia. It could be a nice match. It's no secret that we could really use that type of player. Other guys can benefit from that."
If Henderson's move is completed in time, he could make his Ajax debut this weekend against RKC Waalwijk. Ajax have bounced back from a difficult start and currently sit fifth in the Eredivisie table.