Barcelona were offered chance to sign Liverpool icon this month, but turned it down

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson recently finalized his move to Ajax, putting an end to his disastrous tenure with Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi League. 

The story, however, could have been entirely different if Barcelona had cooped up the opportunity to sign the 33-year-old England midfielder. According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, Henderson was offered to several teams, including Barcelona, before he ended up at Ajax.

The report adds that his agent contacted Barcelona, knowing their they are looking for a midfielder but the Blaugrana expressed their disinterest in signing the 33-year-old. 

What’s the story?

Henderson left Al-Ettifaq, a team led by Steven Gerrard, feeling disappointed, having left the club a mere six months after joining them in late July last year for about €14 million.

The midfielder’s time in Saudi Arabia ended quickly as he had a special contract clause that delayed his first salary until February 1, allowing him to leave during the winter transfer window. 

Barcelona had the choice to sign Jordan Henderson. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Before Ajax showed interest, his agent also offered him to clubs like Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and Barça. The reason why he was offered to Barcelona was because they were already looking for a player in his position.

The Catalan team considered him but decided against it for both sporting and financial reasons. Ajax eventually ended up winning the race after offering him a €1.5 million signing bonus and a net salary of €3.2 million. 

Meanwhile, it is to be noted that although Juventus had reached an agreement with Al-Ettifaq for a €3.5 million transfer in early January, Henderson didn’t agree to the transfer due to competition in the squad and a desire to play closer to Manchester, where his family lives. 

As for Barcelona, they are indeed looking for a midfielder, but as reported before, they leaning more towards Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips, someone who is proving a little tricky to acquire.