Jordan Henderson transfer latest with Newcastle 'discussions' and Klopp chat

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is believed to be desperate to return to Europe this month despite only recently moving to Saudi Arabia

Jordan Henderson transfer latest - Newcastle 'discussions', Chelsea stance and Jurgen Klopp chat

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Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson's days in the Saudi Pro League appear to be numbered, according to recent reports.

Henderson left for Al Ettifaq in the summer under a cloud after he was publicly criticised for moving to a country with a poor human rights record. The 33-year-old, who was a notable campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights in the UK, claimed he would attempt to change perceptions from the inside but this was not looked upon favourably.

While Henderson has managed to keep his spot in the England team, his performances for Steven Gerrard's club have been criticised with the team languishing in mid-table. With Henderson now claiming to be wanting out of the Saudi project, theECHO has taken a closer look at the current situation surrounding the midfielder.

READ MORE: Souness' two reasons why Henderson wants to leave Saudi Arabia

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Henderson's desperation

At the weekend, the Daily Mail set the ball in motion for Henderson rumours when they suggested the midfielder was 'desperate' to leave Ettifaq and Saudi Arabia. The report claimed he was eager to move back to the Premier League having struggled to settle in the Middle East, with Newcastle United among the clubs mentioned as a potential destination for him.

It is believed his concerns have only been compounded by Ettifaq's poor form. Assistant manager Ian Foster's resignation recently to take on the Plymouth Argyle job is understood to have only pushed Henderson further away from Gerrard's team.

Al Ettifaq's stance

Henderson's hopes of a Premier League return were soon dashed by talkSPORT's update. They claimed Ettifaq were increasingly reluctant to allow one of their summer signings to leave.

It is understood they would need an 'astronomical' fee to agree to any departure. This is thought to be in the region of £20m despite only purchasing him for £13m.

Chelsea and Newcastle interest

According to Fichajes, Chelsea are one of the Premier League teams who are interested in Henderson. Mauricio Pochettino has assembled a young squad at Stamford Bridge and it is thought the former Liverpool skipper could provide much needed experience to his team.

Crystal Palace and Fulham were also mentioned as possible destinations for the England international. On Tuesday, The Telegraph's Luke Edwards reported that Henderson has been 'discussed' by Newcastle's decision-makers as a possible signing.

Pochettino's response

When presented with the rumours regarding Henderson, the Chelsea boss kept his cards close to his chest. "We didn’t talk about names," he explained when the topic of the 33-year-old was brought up.

"At the moment we are not talking about players. I saw [co-owner] Behdad Eghbali with [co-sporting directors] Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.

"I think tomorrow we are going to have a chat. We didn’t talk about names or players."

Bundesliga interest

Henderson's search for a new club was then cast further afield. TalkSPORT added Bundesliga sides Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen to the mix of teams who had been offered the midfielder.

As well as them Juventus, who have been linked with Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips, had also been approached about the midfielder.

Klopp's chat

When approached for his insight on Henderson, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp was adamant his former captain was happy with Ettifaq. He explained: "Did Hendo have a press conference and say [he wants to leave]? So it is just written?

"That means for me it is not existing. He hasn't called me. We spoke actually but not about that but I really have nothing to say about that."

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