Barcelona ‘just rejected former Liverpool star’ as Steven Gerrard pay ‘on par with Jürgen Klopp’
Jürgen Klopp will line his Liverpool squad up to face Bournemouth later as the Reds make their return to Premier League action. Ahead of that game, here is the latest round-up of Liverpool news.
Steven Gerrard pay on par with Jürgen Klopp
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has signed a new deal at Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq, which will see him paid as much as Jürgen Klopp despite winning just one game across their last ten fixtures.
According to the Daily Mail, Gerrard will receive a salary in the region of $19.3m (£15.2m/€17.6m) having guided his team to eighth in the league standings, with a 28-point gap separating them and league leaders Al-Hilal. Klopp is believed to be paid around $19m (£15m/€17m) by Liverpool, after securing a Premier League and Champions League title since arriving in 2015.
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The German coach is thought to be the third-highest paid coach across world football, although Gerrard may have now overtaken him. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola takes second spot after raking in around $24.1m (€22m/£19m) per year, while Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone occupies the top spot currently after signing a new deal with the club back in November which will see him paid a staggering $38m (£30m/€34m) a year.
Speaking after the deal was announced, Gerrard revealed how excited he was to be continuing with the project as he looks to build something ‘special’ in the Middle East. “We knew at the beginning this was a big job and a challenging job,” he said.
“We all know it’s not going to be an overnight fix. But it’s really exciting in terms of where we believe we can get the club to. We want to build a special club and build an elite culture around the team and squad.
“I also understand my position, it’s a results business. I never take that for granted. I understand where we are in the league, but I am very confident we will improve. There will need to be an element of patience as there is still a lot to do on and off the pitch.”
Barcelona just rejected former Liverpool star
Spanish giants Barcelona rejected the opportunity to sign former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson prior to his move to Ajax, as per reports from Spain. According to Mundo Deportivo, Henderson’s representatives were in contact with Xavi’s side to offer his services to the Catalan club following the long-term injury sustained to Gavi back in 2023.
However, the current La Liga champions rejected the opportunity to sign Henderson, who was eager to leave Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq just six-months after joining. The 33-year-old England international has since signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Eredivisie side Ajax, after also gauging the interest from other clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and Juventus. Barcelona decided against the deal due to the player not meeting their ‘economic or sporting criteria’ in terms of their transfer dealings.
