Jordan Henderson set to be ‘highest paid Ajax player of all time’ despite taking 75 per cent pay cut for Saudi exit
JORDAN HENDERSON is set to become Ajax’s highest paid player despite taking a HUGE pay cut to leave Al-Ettifaq.
The England star and former Liverpool captain is set to terminate his £700,000-a-week contract in Saudi Arabia.
Dutch journalist Marcel van der Kraan told Sky Sports that Ajax are “prepared to break the bank” for Henderson.
He said: “Normally £5m is the maximum wages for any player to join Ajax. I’ve never seen them break the bank before.
“But I understand that looking at the background of the club’s form this season, they really need to change something.
“They are prepared to break the bank and pay a much bigger wage then they ever have before.”
“They’re almost certain that they can do that once he agrees.”
Ajax have plummeted down to fifth in the Dutch table after off-loading a number of top players in the past few seasons.
The current highest paid star is Steven Bergwijn who pockets a yearly salary of £3.9m.
The Athletic reports Henderson will take a whopping 75 per cent pay cut to seal a move to Amsterdam – still pocketing him £175k a week.
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An Ajax delegation is flying to the UK on Wednesday to meet with Henderson’s representatives to finalise details.
But he faces coughing up 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.
The 81-cap midfielder, who signed a three-year deal, played 19 times under former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard.
But he is returning to Europe after reportedly struggling to settle into life in the Middle East.
He was heavily criticised by LGBTQ+ groups for his controversial £12million switch, with Saudi Arabia known for its poor human rights record.
As Liverpool skipper, Henderson got his hands on the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and the FA Community Shield.