As the January transfer window ticks into its final few days, Liverpool are not expected to do any incoming business.
There has been deathly silence throughout the month on Merseyside, with the Anfield arrivals door seemingly at risk of rusting over.
Instead, Liverpool fans will have to look outside of their own club for transfer excitement.
On Thursday, some surprising news emerged in that respect, with former Reds captain Jordan Henderson close to joining Monaco from Ajax.
Having taken the captain’s armband at Ajax over the summer – and with the Amsterdam giants firmly in a title race – it was a shock to hear of Henderson’s possible departure.
Interestingly, the 34-year-old then started Ajax’s Europa League clash with Galatasaray on Thursday evening, but was not their captain on the night. And after his surprise actions, Henderson has faced both barrels from outspoken former player Wesley Sneijder.
Jordan Henderson facing Ajax criticism
Henderson has had a difficult time since choosing to leave Liverpool in 2023. The former No.14’s move to Al Ettifaq was horribly misjudged and completely tainted his legacy as a Liverpool legend.
Having then joined Ajax last January, Henderson took a while to get going in the Netherlands.
Now fully integrated and an important player for a title-challenging side, though, he looked to be back on track. Then came Thursday’s bombshell, and according to Sneijder, Henderson took a cowardly path by not wearing the armband against Galatasaray.
“Don’t be so difficult. You just play that match with the armband on and then you say, ‘Yeah guys, I don’t know yet’,” Sneijder told Ziggo Sport via TalkSPORT.
“Something is going on. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.
“Be a man and stand up. Right now you get all this speculation and you create unrest. It could have been much calmer if he had just worn the armband.”
Ajax ‘astonished’ by Henderson behaviour
Unfortunately, the criticism of Henderson has not stopped with Sneijder.
Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf have also added some context, reporting that Ajax have been left ‘astonished’ and ‘disappointed’ by Henderson’s push to leave.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists | |
| 2023/24 | 12 | 0 | 3 |
| 2024/25 | 32 | 0 | 5 |
The former England midfielder is reportedly ‘no longer amenable to reason’ and is desperate to get his move to Monaco.
Furthermore, Henderson’s ‘professional image’ is said to have ‘suffered a nasty blow’ within the club itself.
This is because Jordan has reportedly informed the Ajax hierarchy that he will simply refuse to play for the club if they continue to block his transfer. The decision not to wear the armband on Thursday is claimed to have been Henderson’s, with a decision taken ‘just before the match.’ Not a good look.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
