Jordan Henderson contract: Why Liverpool and FSG cannot afford to repeat the Georginio Wijnaldum saga
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When Liverpool kick their 2021-22 Premier League campaign off against Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday 14 August, it will officially signal Jordan Henderson‘s 11th season at the club. It could yet prove to be his last.
Henderson has been synonymous with Liverpool’s success during the Jurgen Klopp era, captaining the club to its sixth European title in 2019 and then leading his side to the Premier League title in 2020, ending a three-decade wait for a domestic league trophy.
However, Henderson, who is fast approaching 400 official appearances for Liverpool, is entering the final two years of a contract signed back in 2018 and as of yet, no extension has been agreed between him and the club despite dialogue taking place.
Although there is still plenty of time for all parties to reach a solution, the possibility that Henderson could play his club football away from Anfield has been raised for the first time since his early years at the club when he struggled to make an impact.
Liverpool are unlikely to force Henderson out given his importance in the dressing room, strong relationship with Klopp and standing with the supporters, but equally, they would rather avoid a repeat of the Georginio Wijnaldum saga.
Wijnaldum, 30, left at the end of June on a free transfer, signing a three-year deal with PSG. Losing an established first-team player for nothing is something that the club’s owners Fenway Sports Group [FSG] will not want to make a habit of.
According to the Athletic, PSG are considering whether to try and tempt Henderson to Paris to link up alongside Wijnaldum in Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield, while Atletico Madrid are also keeping a keen interest on developments.
Ultimately, the crux of the issue is Henderson’s age. He turned 31 in June and will be 33 by the end of his deal in June 2023 if he were to stay. FSG, like most club owners around Europe, are more invested in acquiring youth than retaining experience.
Replacing Henderson on the pitch would be a challenge, although not impossible. There is little doubt that Liverpool are better with him than without, but there are midfielders that could replicate his drive and energy in a No 8 role or his long-range passing when deployed in front of the back four.
But sourcing someone with his leadership qualities and personality would be a tall order. Speaking in June for Liverpool’s Henderson: The Making of a Champion documentary, Klopp stressed that Henderson is not only respected by his peers but adored by them too.
“Our story is very much Hendo’s story and you could see how happy everybody was for him when we won it and everybody wanted him to get the trophy and all these kind of things,” he said.
“That’s a massive sign from a team, you don’t have that a lot. So probably people always respect their captain, most of the time I would say, but respect and love – not a lot of them get.”
From a financial viewpoint, extending Henderson’s contract into his mid-30s might not make sense to FSG, particularly after a season in which he missed 17 games due to a groin injury.
But Henderson has demonstrated that he has plenty more to offer as a player and a captain. Letting him go would be a mistake.
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