How much money Jordan Henderson will lose by leaving Saudi Arabia early

Jordan Henderson's Saudi Arabian nightmare appears to be coming to an end.

The midfielder made the controversial move to Al Ettifaq for £12m last summer, but is already desperate to cut his time with the club short. Having initially ruled out a sale, the Saudi Pro League side have now agreed to terminate the 33-year-old's contract, allowing him to pursue a return to Europe.

The former Liverpool captain is closing in on a move to Ajax this January, but will have to give up the financial luxury of playing in Saudi Arabia. Henderson will need to take a significant pay cut to make the switch to the Eredivisie, but's it's seemingly a small price to pay for the England international given his desperation to leave Al Ettifaq.

So, just how much money will Henderson lose by moving to Ajax?

How much money will Jordan Henderson lose by leaving Al Ettifaq?

Given the financial limitations of a club like Ajax in comparison to the riches of those in Saudi Arabia, Henderson will have to make significant sacrifices to play for the Dutch side.

In fact, according to talkSPORT, Henderson will take a 75% pay cut to join Ajax. Previous reports have suggested that the midfielder is on £700,000-a-week at Al Ettifaq - claims Henderson rejects - meaning his salary would drop to £175,000-a-week if those proposed figures are accurate.

From now until the end of the Eredivisie season, that would mean a total loss of £9.45m in wages across approximately 18 weeks. When you consider that his earnings will be significantly taxed in the Netherlands, those losses will increase.

If you take into consideration that Henderson signed a three-year contract, the midfielder will lose out on up to £67.73m in wages over the remainder of what would have been the full length of his Al Ettifaq deal - presuming he stays on £175,000-per-week with Ajax until 2026. On top of that, the tax-free element of his Al Ettifaq contract was thought to depend on staying at the club for at least two years, meaning an early termination will result in paying a huge tax bill for the past few months.

Henderson will have to pay performance-related bonuses to Al Ettifaq depending on how Ajax do this season, with a fee required if the Dutch side qualify for Europe. All in all, the deal could cost Henderson even more than just the loss in wages.

How have Ajax performed this season?

It's clear to see why Ajax are pursuing someone of Henderson's experience and leadership given how they have fared this season, with the former Sunderland man set to arrive in a challenging environment in Amsterdam.

Ajax made a terrible start to the campaign, winning just two of their opening 13 matches in all competitions. The biggest club in the Netherlands were left languishing around the Eredivisie relegation zone, with John van't Schip drafted in to help fix the problems.

While still far from perfect - Ajax lost 3-2 to amateur side USV Hercules in the KNVB Cup in December - things have picked up in recent weeks. Van't Schip's side now find themselves fifth in Eredivisie and are closing in on the European spots, even if they're 23 points off leaders PSV Eindhoven already.

Henderson will be tasked with stabilising the side and using his wealth of experience to make sure the Dutch giants enjoy a far more prosperous second half of the season.

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