Jordan Henderson set to earn 75 per cent less at Ajax and could be forced to pay bonuses to Al Ettifaq

Jordan Henderson is taking a 75 per cent pay cut to join Ajax, talkSPORT understands.

Henderson is close to a making the move after reaching an agreement to effectively buy his way out of his contract at Al-Ettifaq.

The 33-year-old is en route back to England and is set to undergo a medical with Ajax in the next few days after agreeing to take a significant pay cut.

Henderson's exit follows talks in Abu Dhabi with Ettifaq manager Steven Gerrard and sporting director Mark Allen before the final green light for a departure was given by club president Samer Al-Misehal.

It is believed Henderson will claim fearing he would be left out of England's Euro 2024 squad if he stayed in Saudi Arabia as the main driving force behind the move.

Ettifaq have chosen to negotiate with Henderson directly and not Ajax, freeing him up to reach an agreement with the Dutch giants.

The termination terms are complicated, but the Saudi club will walk away with around £8million-net. 

There are also performance-based terms included, meaning if Ajax qualify for Europe, Henderson will effectively have to pay Ettifaq an additional bonus.

Ettifaq had entered the window with a 'not for sale' stance on Henderson, but softened their position after face-to-face talks.

These were seen as important and a sign of Henderson, who only signed a three-year deal in the summer, respecting the club. 

An exit for Henderson was only sanctioned because the ex-Liverpool captain made it clear he wanted to leave directly to the club. 

There was a point when those close to Henderson made suggestions he might go public with his desire to leave. Had he done so, instead of dealing directly with the club, it's understood a move would have been blocked.

If all goes to plan finalising the move to Ajax, Henderson is expected to earn just 25 per cent of his £8m-a-year Saudi wage and his new salary will be heavily taxed.

Ettifaq will now look for a short-term loan having already been active in the local market, and they believe they have secured the funds necessary to replace Henderson in the long term with another foreign player this summer.