The latest money-spinning move of Jordan Henderson's career has fallen flat after a proposed move to Monaco fell through.
It's understood the former Liverpool captain was keen on the idea of moving to the French Riviera and pushed for the move. But it now looks as though he'll be staying in Amsterdam until at least the end of the season – though Ajax have stripped him of the captaincy as a result.
A move to Monaco could have had massive financial implications for Henderson given the principality does not charge income tax. The 34-year-old has already enjoyed playing in a tax-free state following his short-lived spell at Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, suggesting he was keen on a return to that lifestyle.
It's not that easy in Henderson's case, however, owing to the fact he spent so little time in the Saudi Pro League. And Mirror Football analyses the midfielder's earnings history to date as he completes another hectic winter transfer window.
Transfer U-turn
Just as momentum was moving in favour of Henderson joining Les Monegasques, the transfer is now understood to have collapsed. And Ajax have responded by removing him from the captaincy, suggesting it was indeed Henderson pushing for a transfer to another club based in a tax haven.
Having arrived in the Eredivisie a little more than one year ago, Henderson still has around 18 months remaining on his Ajax contract and could be in for an awkward spell for the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, Francesco Farioli still decided to start the player in Sunday's tough test against Feyenoord.
Monaco reportedly wanted Ajax to terminate Henderson's contract so they could sign the player on a free transfer. But the deal's collapse means he'll be forced to settle for just the £66,000 a week he currently rakes in at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Massive net worth
Henderson spent a decade-and-a-half in England's top flight before reuniting with Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq. And the life of a Liverpool captain saw him earn a whopping £10million per year (£190,000 a week) at the height of his Anfield career.
Salary Sport approximated Henderson earned roughly £53m over the course of his final seven seasons on Merseyside. That's in addition to the £3.4m annual salary he'll earn at Ajax, taking his career earnings well past the £60m mark.
And that's ignoring any endorsements or sponsorship deals he has held with brands like MaxiNutrition, MyProtein or Nike over the years. Henderson will have had to fork out substantial sums paying taxes throughout his career, but it feels safe to make a conservative estimate his net worth currently sits in excess of £35m.
Saudi earnings
Despite widespread reports of a Saudi salary around £700,000 a week, Henderson himself told The Athletic his wage was not "the numbers that were reported." Not that it will matter much considering the nature of his exit turned his Al-Ettifaw earnings effectively null and void.
A clause in his Saudi contract meant Henderson would only attain tax exemption on his salary if he stayed in the league for at least two years, otherwise he'd be subject to a flat income tax rate of 20%. Not only was he not eligible for the former after leaving just six months into his deal, but he deferred a salary for tax purposes.
Journalist Ben Jacobs reported Henderson then agreed to waive any wages owed in order to force through the termination of his Al-Ettifaq contract. So it's possible that after all the reports suggesting the England international could hit the jackpot in Saudi Arabia, it may well go down as the least lucrative stop of his entire career.