Thiago Alcantara, the playmaker for Liverpool, is apparently wanted by Al-Ettifaq to replace Jordan Henderson, who has been rumoured to be heading to Dutch powerhouse Ajax.

Earlier in the summer, Henderson moved from Anfield to Al-Ettifaq, the Saudi Pro League (SPL) team, for an alleged £12 million. This season, he has found it difficult to become a regular member of Steven Gerrard’s squad, only contributing five assists across 19 games across all competitions.

Though he signed a permanent transfer to Al-Ettifaq just six months ago, the former Liverpool captain is reportedly close to joining Ajax. According to SportsJOE, the SPL team hopes to acquire Thiago this month as a repercussion.

However, Brazilian team Flamengo is anticipated to compete against Al-Ettifaq in the next few weeks. They are rumoured to be eager to pair Thiago with Georginio Wijnaldum, a former colleague of the Reds.

Thiago’s contract is slated to expire in June, thus Liverpool, who are leading the Premier League with 45 points after 20 games, might profit from the player. Furthermore, they are reluctant to offer the midfielder an extension given the Spaniard’s history of injuries.

Thiago has made 97 appearances for the Reds since joining from Bayern Munich in a possible £25 million transfer in 2020. He has three goals and six assists. On the other side, the 32-year-old has already missed an incredible 98 matches for his team because of sickness and injuries.

A graduate of the Barcelona Academy, Thiago is now rehabilitating from a chronic hip injury. He is expected to return to first-team practice later this month, which will give the Reds’ roster more depth.

Henderson has reportedly been in negotiations with other teams in recent weeks in an attempt to secure a new club, according to a report in SPORT. In the summer of 2023, a few months after joining Al Ettifaq, the former captain of Liverpool was anxious to go away.