Jordan Henderson's Saudi Pro League wages compared to Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante
- Jordan Henderson looks set to join Al Ettifaq with Liverpool agreeing on the fee
- Al Ittihad dup Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante are already enjoying their new wages
- Saudi Pro League continues to attract players from Europe's top five leagues
By Euan Burns
If anyone thought the Saudi Pro League transfer rampage would fizzle out as the summer progressed, they were wrong. There is no sign of these deals letting up and one of the next to be confirmed is Jordan Henderson's move from Liverpool to Al Ettifaq.
He is one of numerous high-profile footballers of a certain age that have been given the chance for a bumper payday in the Middle East, but it is not just ageing players that are making the move. The one constant, however, is that everyone gets loads of cash.
Two big names that have gone before Henderson in making the switch are Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante, so let's see who is going to be paid the most out of that trio.
READ MORE ON THE PLAYERS LINKED TO SAUDI ARABIA & THE MONEY ON OFFER
What will Jordan Henderson earn in Saudi Arabia?
As reported by 90min, the fee was agreed between Steven Gerrard's Al Ettifaq and Liverpool. The Saudi Pro League team will be paying £12m as well as some add-ons.
The English midfielder missed a friendly against Karlsruher on Wednesday due to the deal being at such an advanced stage. It seems there is no stopping it now and Henderson's bank account will be more than happy about that. At Liverpool right now as captain, Henderson gets paid £190,000 a week. That wage is of course then subject to taxation.
In Saudi Arabia, he is set to earn £700,000 a week. That is £100,000 a day.
While there are various reasons why this move is one that leaves a bitter taste, it certainly makes economic sense for Henderson. He will be earning almost four times more than he was on Merseyside and can keep more of it.
Klopp dropped a hint after the Karlsruher friendly that it was his decision to sell Henderson this summer.
He said: "I don't know that anything is decided, which means nothing to say in the moment. But that's even better for you because you can speculate, which is much more fun! If I say something then it's finished!
"In the end, all of these decisions are made by me. And because I respect the players a lot, it's usually [with their] consent. It was in this case, and it is all fine."
What will N'Golo Kante earn in Saudi Arabia?
Perhaps the best direct comparison to Jordan Henderson when it comes to position and age is N'Golo Kante. He was one of the first movers to the Saudi Pro League from Europe's top sides as he ditched Chelsea for Al Ittihad.
It is believed the Frenchman will be paid £86m across the four years of his contract, which means £21.5m per season. That is just over £413,000 per week, meaning he isn't quite in the same financial bracket as Henderson.
He will still be getting £6m more per year than he was getting at Chelsea. That is nowhere near as great as the increase Henderson is getting, who has very much leapfrogged Kante.
What will Karim Benzema earn in Saudi Arabia?
Around the same time N'Golo Kante made his move to Al Ittihad, Karim Benzema did the same from Real Madrid. He is the highest-profile player to move to Saudi Arabia since Cristiano Ronaldo and that is likely to remain the case all summer long.
For that reason, the money Benzema has been offered is far beyond anything Henderson and Kante could imagine. The French striker is now earning £172m per season on a three-year deal. Benzema is being paid around £3.3m per week in Saudi Arabia, which is just under £500,000 a day.
If the three of them go out to dinner after a game, Henderson and Kante have no business picking up the bill.
Wages in Saudi Arabia
Player | Wage per day | Wage per week | Wage per year |
---|---|---|---|
Karim Benzema | £472,527 | £3,307,962 | £172m |
Jordan Henderson | £100,000 | £700,000 | £36.4m |
N'Golo Kante | £59,065 | £413,461 | £21.5m |