Jordan Henderson back in the Premier League?! Sunderland set sights on homecoming transfer for Ajax captain

Sunderland have returned to the Premier League after an eight-year absence following their win over Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final last week. The Black Cats will now work on strengthening their squad in the upcoming summer transfer window to remain competitive in the English top-flight.

Per Ed Aarons of The Guardian, the newly promoted Premier League side are considering a move to re-sign Henderson from Ajax. The ex-Liverpool skipper joined the Dutch side in January 2024 after cutting short his stay at Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettifaq. The midfielder was very close to winning the second domestic crown of his career in the 2024-25 season, however, a monumental title race collapse towards the end denied him the Eredivisie title.

Aarons also reported that Sunderland president Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is determined to hold on to Jobe Bellingham this summer, despite strong interest from top German clubs. However, bringing in Henderson would help to ease the pressure on Sunderland if Bellingham were to depart.

In December 2024, Henderson acknowledged Sunderland's interest in him, but at that time, he had not been approached with a formal offer. The 34-year-old still has one year left on his existing deal at Ajax, but talkSPORThave reported that Henderson would be open to a return to his boyhood club, having been present at Wembley to watch their play-off win over Sheffield United.