Jordan Henderson is set to join Premier League side Brentford on a two-year deal.
Henderson is a free agent after the mutual termination of his contract with Eredivisie giants Ajax, where he moved last year after a short spell with Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League.
Despite speculation about a twilight reunion with boyhood club Sunderland, promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs in May, The Athletic reports that a deal has been agreed with Brentford and a medical is due.
Former Liverpool captain is on his way back to England
“An official announcement is not expected until next week out of respect to former team-mate Diogo Jota and his family,” writes David Ornstein.
“Henderson was identified by Brentford as their top target once it became clear captain Christian Norgaard would be moving to Arsenal, with his quality and experience on and off the pitch carrying appeal.”
The former Liverpool captain, who won the Premier League and Champions League with the Reds under former manager Jurgen Klopp, will be a significant addition in a turbulent transfer window for the Bees.
Manager Thomas Frank crossed London to replace Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur and both Norgaard and goalkeeper Mark Flekken have left the club.
New boss Keith Andrews will begin the 2025-26 season with a younger squad at his disposal if the typical age profile of Brentford’s new signings are any indication, but 35-year-old Henderson can be relied upon for leadership and experience.
He will join ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, with whom he played 14 times in all competitions.
Henderson has had an unpredictable patch of his own since leaving Liverpool in the summer of 2023.
His controversial move to Saudi Arabia proved short-lived and his time in the Netherlands culminated in Ajax’s disastrous failure to win a league title that was firmly in their grasp.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, a two-year contract is a bold decision on the part of the Bees but they will benefit from Henderson as much as he’ll benefit from them – in any case, he’s now agreed early contract terminations at his last two clubs.
Brentford will visit the Stadium of Light as early as the end of August, taking Henderson back to Sunderland before a meeting with Premier League champions Liverpool at the Gtech Community Stadium in October.
But Henderson’s emotional return to Anfield will have to wait. Brentford will visit Merseyside on the very last day of the season.
