Jordan Henderson is reportedly set to undergo his Ajax medical on Thursday ahead of completing a move to the Dutch giants.
Mail Sport reported on Wednesday how Henderson had agreed a deal to terminate his contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq – just six months after joining – and flew back to England to complete negotiations over a shock move to the Netherlands.
The former Liverpool captain will join Ajax on a free transfer, but the move will cost him millions in tax after he chose to walk away from a three-year contract with Al-Ettifaq.
And, according to The Athletic, Henderson is set to fly to Amsterdam on Thursday with his family before undergoing a medical.
Al-Ettifaq are understood to have reluctantly agreed to let Henderson leave during negotiations at the club’s winter training camp in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, with the 33-year-old securing the crucial concession that they would not demand a fee.
Jordan Henderson is reportedly set to undergo his Ajax medical on Thursday ahead of joining
Henderson, 33, only joined Al-Ettifaq in the summer, but has never settled in Saudi Arabia
Henderson has represented himself during the negotiations and is expected to conclude a deal with Ajax in the next few days. An agreement has yet to be reached on the length of his contract, but that is not thought to be a sticking point.
It is understood Ajax are looking to offer him an 18-month deal with the option for a further 12, which could be tweaked into a permanent two-and-a-half year deal.
A few details remain to be ironed out but if everything was to go to plan, he could end up making his debut at Heracles on January 27.
News of Henderson undergoing his medical comes after the Telegraph reported on Wednesday that the player has not even received a penny of his mouth-watering £350,000-a-week wages at Al-Ettifaq, having deferred payments in the last six months.
Worse still, the report suggests that according to certain sources close to the player, there is a belief that Henderson will never be paid what he is owed.
It is thought that the reason for deferring his wages was done for tax reasons, reportedly having done so in part to return to the UK and represent England.
UK law stipulates that any person that spends more than 90 days in the country is considered a resident for tax purposes.
The Telegraph adds that the player is thought to have been advised he was due…