England international Jordan Henderson is set to leave Ajax and become a free agent, leaving several Premier League clubs, including Sunderland, on high alert.
Jordan Henderson Set To Leave Ajax
Former Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson is set to become a free agent after leaving Ajax.
The England international joined the Eredivisie giants from Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ettifaq in January 2024 and made a total of 57 appearances for the club across all competitions.
His contract at the Johan Cruijff Arena comes to an end next summer, but having decided against extending his current deal, he will now explore a move elsewhere.
It is understood that he has interest from the Premier League and top European leagues.
Henderson, who spent 12 years at Anfield, was recently pictured back in Merseyside paying his respects following the tragic and untimely death of Diogo Jota.
Jordan Henderson visited Anfield today to pay his respects to friend and former teammate, Diogo Jota ❤️ pic.twitter.com/YN1V0YMNEu
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 4, 2025
He departed the Reds in 2023 to link up with Steven Gerrard in Saudi Arabia, joining Al-Ettifaq on an initial three-year contract until the summer of 2027. But with his spot in the England squad at risk, it was agreed that his contract would be terminated in order for him to join Ajax.
Over a year after his move to the Netherlands, he regained his spot in the Three Lions squad.
The 35-year-old has since featured in both of Thomas Tuchel’s squads since his appointment.
His next move will prove crucial in his aim to play at the 2026 World Cup.
Sunderland Among Clubs Keeping Tabs on Jordan Henderson
A whole host of Premier League sides are monitoring Henderson’s current situation, but a club that stands out above the rest is none other than newly promoted Sunderland.
The midfielder came through the academy ranks at the Stadium of Light, and while the Black Cats aren’t rushing into negotiations, they want to bring him back to the North East this summer.
Born in the city, Henderson joined the club as an eight-year-old in 1998. He made his first team debut in 2008, before going on to make a total of 79 appearances for the club.
Henderson departed for Liverpool, of course, in 2011, but his boyhood club has remained close to his heart ever since, which potentially opens him up to an emotional return.
If he is to reunite with the Mackems, it is likely that he’ll need to take a pay cut.
Reports suggest that he was paid around £75,000-a-week by Ajax, which equates to a £3.86m yearly salary. He also received £1.28m in signing-on fees, per reports from the Netherlands.
A signing of Henderson’s quality may prove vital in Sunderland’s quest for top-flight survival. They secured promotion last term by winning the Championship play-offs.
In each of the last two seasons, all three newly promoted sides have suffered immediate relegation back to the second tier, so the task ahead is clearly of huge enormity.
But the acquisition of the England international will provide them with depth and top-level experience, both of which are undoubtedly required when fighting for Premier League survival.
At the time of writing, Sunderland are the bookmakers’ favourites to go down. The best football betting sites in the UK have them at 1/3 to suffer relegation to the second tier.
