Steven Gerrard now wants to sign two current Liverpool players to help Jordan Henderson stay

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Steven Gerrard is targeting two Liverpool players in an attempt to convince Jordan Henderson to stay at Al Ettifaq.

Henderson has been in the news over the past several days as he pushes to end his stay in Saudi Arabia. With a return to Liverpool out of the question, Ajax are the latest side to be linked with the 33-year-old.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs though, Al Ettifaq have far from given up on Henderson. Writing for the Daily Briefing yesterday, Jacobs reports that Gerrard is holding discussions with his club over potential targets for 2024. Keeping the former Liverpool captain happy is on the agenda.

“Ettifaq are exploring a range of ambitious options both in January and this summer to bolster Gerrard’s squad,” says the journalist. “Two Al-Ettifaq targets for this window are Fenerbahce’s Ryan Kent and Al-Hilal’s Abdulellah Al-Malki.

“Steven Gerrard was part of a three-hour recruitment meeting on Monday where Liverpool’s Joel Matip and Joe Gomez, and Villa’s Bertrand Traore, were also discussed for summer 2024.

“Some of these names may be presented to Henderson to help reassure him of future plans and the project.”

Gerrard targeting Matip and Gomez

Whereas last year these kinds of rumours felt like genuine possibilities, it now seems almost laughable.

Plenty of players will have seen how the likes of Henderson have found their time in the Saudi Pro League. The question is, having watched it unfold in the most underwhelming way possible, why would they want to be a part of it?

For Gomez in particular, the move would make no sense at all. We’re not quite sure what Gerrard was discussing for three hours, because we can end it in a second: he’s not for sale.

There were some slight rumblings that Gomez may be targeted at the end of last summer’s window. Back then, a sale would have made some sense to Liverpool.

But over the course of the season the 26-year-old has really re-established himself. With Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas now injured, Joe’s importance has arguably never been higher.

Still in his prime, there’s absolutely no way Liverpool would entertain a sale. Furthermore, Jurgen Klopp has recently declared how happy Gomez is at Anfield. It’s impossible to think he’d give that up for a mid-table side in Saudi.

Matip is of course a little more likely. With the 32-year-old still on course to depart at the end of the season, Liverpool will have no say in where he goes next. On the back of a huge injury, maybe Matip will see the appeal of a stroll in the Saudi league.

In terms of convincing Henderson, these would hardly be blockbuster additions for Al Ettifaq. Matip is a veteran coming off an ACL injury, Gomez is never going to happen. It feels like it’s falling apart.