Surprise at Anfield, Jordan Henderson could be key to keeping Mohamed Salah at Liverpool

"I'm playing football in a different country, in Saudi Arabia, where I want to try to improve my game on the pitch, but also off the pitch. That's all I'm trying to do," Jordan Henderson told The Telegraph a few months ago in an interview. The Al Ettifaq midfielder was given a resounding send-off by England fans at Wembley during the international break in October, and the former Liverpool captain excused himself for the decision in the summer, saying that "all I've ever done is concentrate on my football and try to help the people who have asked me to help them".

Jordan Henderson signed a three-season contract (until 2026) with a salary of £700,000 a week to report to Steven Gerrard. However, money is not everything, even in today's football, and the England player's situation has changed a lot since those high-profile comments.

After the Daily Mail reported that the former Liverpool captain is not comfortable in the Asian country and is eager to return to the Premier League, several British media have reported the consequences of Jordan Henderson's premature departure from Saudi Arabia. The Daily Mail itself has reported that "current UK tax law states that those who go abroad to work must pay a withholding tax of 45 per cent of their earnings if they return within a year. It is believed (Jordan) Henderson earns £700,000 a week, so if he returned to the Premier League in January he would face a massive £7m (more than eight million euros) outlay".

Recommendation for Salah

Although his outlook on life is totally different, Henderson's bad experience in Arabia could make Mohamed Salah think twice about the interest there in taking him. The other great example is Karim Benzema, who could have a way of life closer to Salah's, but who has not yet got used to it and is also thinking of leaving the country.