Jordan Henderson performs transfer backtrack after Sunderland comments and Monaco development

Jordan Henderson has performed a transfer backtrack, with the former Sunderland man seemingly having agreed to move to France.

The former England and Liverpool man is closing on a move to Monaco, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano. Henderson had been linked last year with a sensational return to his boyhood club, though head coach Régis Le Bris said at the time that the club had not held talks regarding a move for the 34-year-old.

However, Henderson now looks set to leave Ajax before the transfer window closes. Monaco have qualified for the knockout rounds of the Champions League, and Henderson looks set to make a permanent switch with a contract running until next summer. Henderson’s comments late last year make for interesting reading now his decision to move to Monaco has been revealed.

Speaking last year, Henderson said when asked about links to Sunderland: “It’s my club, ever since I was a boy of six or seven years old (Sunderland). Then I was in the stands,” he said. “But I just hope I stay here [at Ajax]. I really like it here. I want to help the club to grow further. We are also taking those steps. But I also read it. I don’t even know where all this comes from, because there has been no contact.”

While Henderson will not be returning to Sunderland, the move will see him link up with board member and minority shareholder Juan Sartori. Sartori is vice president at Monaco, with his father-in-law Dmitry Rybolovlev the President.

Régis Le Bris says that Sunderland are preparing for the possibility of transfer deadline day impacting their preparations for a crucial Championship game against Middlesbrough.

The January window closes at 11pm on Monday, around an hour after Sunderland’s game at the Riverside will likely finish. The Black Cats still have some business to conclude, with their search for another forward player ongoing and a number of fringe players potentially departing to try and get more regular game time.

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The Black Cats would ideally like to get all of their business done before Monday, preventing any disruption to Le Bris’s matchday squad. The Sunderland head coach says he knows this might not be possible in an ‘unpredictable’ transfer market.

"I would like this, but it is not often the case," Le Bris said. "Because the market is unpredictable. We will try our best to protect the team because we have two timelines, how we want to prepare this game to be fully engaged and at the same time, we know so that some adjustment [to the squad] could be useful for the future. We will try our best to try and manage these two timelines properly."

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