From Henderson to Fabinho: How Liverpool’s summer sales are performing

Liverpool experienced a summer of significant upheaval as several established stars departed the Anfield club.

Jurgen Klopp and new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke oversaw a veritable midfield revolution in the previous transfer window as a host of players were moved on and replaced with four fresh recruits in Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.

Despite the exodus, only two players were actually sold and brought in transfer fees: Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, both of whom followed the stream of superstars that headed to the Saudi Pro League.

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Most departures left the club for nothing, among them Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. At 37, Milner is still getting regular Premier League minutes for Brighton, while Oxlade-Chamberlain frequently features for Besiktas.

Firmino, meanwhile, started brightly at Al-Ahli but hasn’t scored since opening day and is already being tipped for a move away from Saudi Arabia. Keita, finally, is still Keita and has barely featured for Werder Bremen due to persistent fitness issues. But how have the actual sales fared so far?

Jordan Henderson – €14m to Al-Ettifaq

Ex-Reds captain Jordan Henderson reunited with former teammate Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq in Dammam. Ettifaq are not one of the four Pro League giants that came under Public Investment Fund ownership, yet the club still spent lavishly in the summer, also recruiting fellow ex-Red Giorginio Wijnaldum and Demarai Gray.

Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia was controversial given the country’s poor track record on LGBTQ+ rights. The veteran midfielder had been an outspoken ally during his time in England but was heavily criticised for his decision to follow the money to the Kingdom.

On the pitch, things haven’t been much better as Ettifaq languish in mid-table. On a positive note, Henderson has recorded an eyebrow-raising five assists in 13 games, more than he managed all of last season.

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Fabinho – €46.7m to Al-Ittihad

Fabinho also headed to the Middle East, joining Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante at reigning champions Al-Ittihad. The Jeddah giants are not enjoying a happy title defence as they sit in an underwhelming fifth, some 11 points off hated rivals Al-Hilal in top spot. Unsurprisingly, head coach Nuno Espirito Santo was recently fired.

As for Fabinho, the Brazilian has been a regular fixture in the league, recording one assist but otherwise having a very low-key season thus far. The 30-year-old has not quite had the same impressive impact as midfield partner Kante.