Report: Henderson may not earn a penny from Saudi move after leaving for Ajax
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Jordan Henderson has yet to earn any money from his six months in Saudi Arabia because he deferred his wages of around £350,000 per week and may have to forfeit everything he's owed now that he's at Ajax, sources told The Telegraph's Sam Wallace and Matt Law.
Henderson terminated his contract with Al-Ettifaq to join the Dutch side on a permanent transfer on Thursday, ending a controversial six-month spell in the Gulf nation that has left his reputation in tatters.
The LGBTQ+ community roundly criticized Henderson for betraying his values as a gay and trans rights advocate to play in a country where homosexuality is punishable by death. Now, Henderson appears to have lost the payday many believe was why he moved there.
Sources told Wallace and Law that Henderson agreed to defer payment of his salary in part so he could spend time in the U.K. without breaking tax law. An individual must pay tax on earnings as a full-time resident if they're in the U.K. for 90 days.
If Henderson earned his salary as normal, he would've had to break U.K. residency to claim tax-free status or face a tax bill of more than £3 million in the U.K., Elliott Buss, a partner at UHY Hacker Young, told The Telegraph's Mike McGrath.
It's unclear if Henderson will look to recoup the money he deferred and whether that would come with a tax bill.
Al-Ettifaq president Samer Al-Misehal said the decision to terminate Henderson's contract was mutual.
"We are always respectful of our players," Al-Misehal said in a statement obtained by Sky Sports correspondent Rob Harris. "The club and Jordan believe this quick decision, without any delay or further distraction, has been made for both the overall good of the club and for Jordan."
Al-Ettifaq performed poorly in Henderson's half-season there. They are sitting a distant eighth behind Public Investment Fund-backed Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, and Al-Ahli.
Henderson made just 17 Saudi Pro League appearances for Al-Ettifaq, recording four assists.