Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson would leave the club for Saudi Pro-League side Al-Ettifaq, the Premier League side confirmed on Thursday.
“Now, as he departs the club, Klopp has hailed the contribution the England international has made during his tenure and admitted: ‘We will miss him,’” the club said in its website.
Henderson spent 12 years at Anfield, making 492 appearances and winning eight major trophies with the Reds. A year after hoisting aloft the Champions League trophy in Madrid, Henderson became the first Liverpool to win the Premier league title and the first in 30 years to win the premier division of English football.
“It’s sad, absolutely strange, because he is the only captain I had here at Liverpool, but I think it is exciting for him as well. We will miss him, without a shadow of a doubt, that’s clear - as a man and as a player. But, as I said, that’s football,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was quoted telling the Liverpool website.
Henderson will reunited with former teammate Steven Gerrard in Saudi Arabia, where the former Aston Villa manager has joined as manager for the upcoming season.
British media reported that Al-Ettifaq would pay about 12 million pounds ($15.55 million) plus add-ons for the midfielder, who will receive a weekly salary of around 700,000 pounds.
James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all left the club, while Fabio Carvalho has joined Leipzig on a season-long loan.
Liverpool has signed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai during the transfer window and is expected to add another midfielder ahead of the new season.
Klopp’s midfield revamp comes after the club endured a disappointing campaign last season, which saw it miss out on the Champions League for the first time in seven years and fail to win a trophy.
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