101 covered on Monday, which claimed Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is edging closer to a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq, where he will rejoin ex-Liverpool star, Steven Gerrard.
It was also reported that the 33-year-old quickly agreed terms on a sensational £700,000 per week transfer to Al Ettifaq.
Henderson is not the only Premier League player being tapped up clubs in the Saudi league this summer, with several players having already completed moves.
Now, Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has come to the defence of Henderson after critics emerged following news of the huge sum of money he looks set to earn in Saudi Arabia:
“It is Jordan Henderson’s supposed wages which has sparked the outrage,” he wrote in his Mirror column. “I’ve never quite understood why footballers’ wages are such a sensitive topic, while the billions earned by financiers are never questioned.
“Let’s get one thing clear though. I’m not going to condemn Jordan, Steven Gerrard or anyone else who has gone to work in Saudi Arabia, or is thinking of doing so. Not because I’m taking the money too – that’s simply not true.
“I know Jordan well and I grew up with Stevie. I think Steven is like me – he wants to manage, he wants to prove himself, and after leaving Aston Villa, the right offer simply hasn’t come along.
“Now he has the backing of a big club, in a league that wants to grow, to become one of the better leagues in the world. It’s a great opportunity for a manager with ambition to get to the top.
“We can all question why there’s that financial backing now, and yes, there has been money thrown at this big project. But has anyone questioned the Premier League for doing exactly the same thing?”
N’Golo Kante has already completed his move to Saudi Arabia and is thought to earn £86.2m-a-year.
The top 10 highest-paid players in Saudi Arabia can be seen below:
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr) – £3.6 million – £173 million
- Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad) – £3.58 million – £172 million
- N’Golo Kante (Al Ittihad) – £1.7 million – £86.2 million
- Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal) – £500,000 – £30 million
- Ruben Neves (Al Hilal) – £300,000 – £16 million
- Ever Banega (Al Shabab) – £176,000 – £9.1 million
- Matheus Pereira (Al Wahda) – £107,000 – £5.5 million
- Anderson Talisca (Al Nassr) – £100,000 – £5.17 million
- Ahmed Hegazi (Al Ittihad) – £97,000 – £5.01 million
- Moussa Marega (Al Hilal) – £78,000 – £4.28 million
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