Liverpool have failed to make any real progress in talks with midfielder Jordan Henderson over a new contract, with the door now tentatively open for a potential exit from the club.
The Reds have looked at their contract situation this summer and have already started working on some extensions. Goalkeeper Alisson will sign a new deal, as will Fabinho, and talks with Henderson have been raging for a few weeks now.
Henderson has two years left to drive / Visionhaus / Getty Images
Despite some early optimism, The Athletic notes that negotiations with the 31-year-old have slowed drastically and created significant uncertainty as to whether the club’s captain will actually stay at Anfield to see the rest of his current deal.
There has been no formal offer and no division in the talks, with Henderson making it clear that he wants to stay at the club for the rest of his career, but Liverpool’s opening proposal has clearly not satisfied the midfielder.
Comparisons have begun to be drawn between the situation and Georginio Wijnaldum, who terminated his contract this summer after Liverpool refused to offer him a long-term deal on a high salary due to his age.
That was the attitude of the 30-year-old Wijnaldum and there are fears that Liverpool may feel the same way about Henderson, who is one year the Dutchman’s senior and will be 33 when his current contract expires.
Clubs from all over Europe have seen their interest aroused by the situation. Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid are both monitoring the situation, aware that Liverpool’s history suggests that a lucrative deal for Henderson may not happen.
It’s worth noting that no one involved actually wants Henderson to leave. He wants to stay, manager Jurgen Klopp loves him and the club’s owners also value him highly, but the midfielder is worried about why those in charge at Anfield actually want to keep him.
Neither Klopp nor Henderson want to see a transfer / PAUL ELLIS / Getty Images
Henderson wants to be at a club where he will play consistent minutes and not just take a role as a cheerleader in the locker room, and Liverpool’s preference to pursue younger players makes him worry that he may not be part of the long-term furniture at Liverpool. .
He is not yet on his way to the front door, but there is a feeling that Liverpool will not let this linger and let Henderson get into the last 12 months of his deal. If an agreement cannot be reached, the club will start considering a possible departure.
