Transfer news: Henderson Gallagher Greenwood Toney

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Jordan Henderson is exploring options to leave Al-Ettifaq, with Ajax, Bayer Leverkusen and even Newcastle linked. Newcastle would be a bold move given Henderson’s Sunderland links.

It won’t be easy for Henderson to get a transfer away because Ettifaq want to keep him. Henderson is due back for a training camp in Abu Dhabi next week and there will be face-to-face talks about his future.

Until Ettifaq hear directly from Henderson he wants to leave, the Saudi club are planning to build their team around him. So far there have been no formal enquiries.

A permanent sale is unlikely given the price Ettifaq would demand. A loan could be possible providing a suitor pays 100% of Henderson’s wages and a fee.

Henderson’s wage is not as high as some reports suggest, but it’s still understood to be £8m per year.

There is an acknowledgement from sources in Saudi that Henderson is perhaps starting to worry about his Euro 2024 place with England, but suggestions he’s unhappy with the lifestyle or standard of football have been denied, which is to be expected.

Ettifaq are exploring a range of ambitious options both in January and this summer to bolster Gerrard’s squad. Two Al-Ettifaq targets for this window are Fenerbahce’s Ryan Kent and Al-Hilal’s Abdulellah Al-Malki. Steven Gerrard was part of a three-hour recruitment meeting on Monday where Liverpool’s Joel Matip and Joe Gomez, and Villa’s Bertrand Traore, were also discussed for summer 2024.

Some of these names may be presented to Henderson to help reassure him of future plans and the project. The England midfielder is believed to be self-representing, and should he find a genuine suitor Ettifaq’s ‘not for sale’ stance could yet be tested, but it’s certainly not an easy exit to facilitate.

Conor Gallagher wants to stay at Chelsea, and it’s clear Mauricio Pochettino values him highly. He’s probably been Chelsea’s second-best player behind only Cole Palmer.

However, Gallagher’s contract expires in summer 2025 and Chelsea’s policy is to listen to offers for any player with less than two years left on their existing deal. It was the same with Mason Mount prior to his move to Manchester United.

This means either Gallagher…