The summer pursuit of Sunderland’s most successful academy graduate — if ever there was one — is seemingly over, and it’ll be the red and white of a different club he’ll be donning for 2025/2026.
With a novice head coach in Keith Andrews and a team that may find itself stripped of many of its key players by the time the transfer window closes, it’s easy to understand why Brentford would be eager to secure the services of Jordan Henderson this summer.
Additionally, even when viewing his move to London through red and white-tinted spectacles, I don’t think it’s hard to grasp why Henderson himself would favour such a move.
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After leaving Ajax as a free agent and with the 2026 World Cup possibly on his mind, guarantees on playing time and perhaps the lure of a lucrative final contract could’ve swung it for the ex-Liverpool captain, but regardless of his motivations, it didn’t come as enormous shock that we won’t be reuniting with Henderson this summer.
Disappointing? Perhaps, because there’s no doubt that it would’ve been a classic example of a career truly coming full circle.
The Academy of Light graduate was there to see us triumph over Sheffield United in May, and as soon as the final whistle blew at Wembley and attentions turned to our Premier League return, the ‘bring him home’ movement began to write itself — and it was easy to understand why.
The combination of a vastly experienced former Sunderland player and a newly-promoted side ticked the ‘football romance’ box, but it always felt fan-led and no reputable journalist ever seemed to suggest that a deal was close or that there was even any concrete interest from our side.
I was never entirely convinced that Henderson was bound for Wearside and a tweet from Sky Sports’ Keith Downie in which he referred to the construction of a new midfield made a lot of sense.
This seemed to hint at the club looking forward rather than back, and as Régis Le Bris seeks pace, dynamism and energy for 2025/2026, exactly what kind of role the veteran Henderson would play — aside from vague references to ‘setting the standards’ (something that can be hard to do if you’re not a guaranteed starter) — was unclear.
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The smart money suggests that under Le Bris, we’ll be focused on rapid counter attacks and slick transitional play next season, and that attempting to dominate the ball and play through teams won’t be the chosen method.
That’ll demand a lot from the players.
It’s why the decision to invest in young talent makes an awful lot of sense, and who was potentially making way in the starting eleven to accommodate Henderson? The easy option would’ve been Dan Neil, given the uncertainty around his contractual situation, but he deserves a chance at the top level.
Naturally, the perception in some quarters will be that Henderson’s ‘snubbed’ Sunderland and that our ‘ambitious project’ wasn’t appealing enough, but fundamentally, it leaves us neither better nor worse off.
The need for an injection of Premier League pedigree in order to help the youngsters roll with the punches and stick together through the tough times that lie ahead was always pressing and in my opinion, it remains as such.
Without wishing to sound greedy, I’d love to see at least three players with top flight experience — ideally in our own Premier League but alternatively a leading European division — through the door this summer, and given how light we currently are in central defence in particular, the club will doubtless be turning their attentions to it very soon.
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It’s been an encouraging window so far and although there may be sadness in some quarters that this particular reunion won’t be happening, as the old maxim goes and with Henderson’s move to West London set to be confirmed soon, “We move on”.
His career accomplishments speak for themselves and despite blotting his copybook in the eyes of some with an ill-fated move to Saudi Arabia, nobody could argue that he didn’t fulfil his potential after leaving Sunderland back in 2011.
For the former Reds skipper, it’s seemingly back to the grind of the top flight with a team undoubtedly in transition, and for Sunderland, the search for some well-travelled lads for whom the honour of wearing the red and white stripes during a challenging season should hold no fear.
Onwards.