Scotland defender tipped for lucrative summer move.
Scotland international Jack Hendry could be set to link up with former Real Madrid and Liverpool stars after reports claimed he had started discussions over a summer move away from Al-Ettifaq.
Hendry, 30, is one of Scotland’s most travelled internationals, having already represented clubs in Italy, Belgium and Australia during his career. However, he looked to have finally found a home in the Saudi Pro League with Faris Ad-Dahna after moving to the EGO Stadium three years ago, signing for former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard during his stint at the club.
Expected to be part of Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad at this summer’s World Cup, Hendry had indicated in November that Al-Ettifaq wanted to extend his stay at the club, but admitted that a new deal was “a long way away”, adding that “a lot of things to come before then, so we’ll see what happens.”
Scotland defender Jack Hendry is expected to be part of Steve Clarke's squad at the World Cup this summer.placeholder image
Scotland defender Jack Hendry is expected to be part of Steve Clarke's squad at the World Cup this summer. | SNS Group
A regular feature in Saad Al-Shehri’s starting XI alongside former Celtic marksman Moussa Dembele, Hendry now looks set to depart the club this summer, with reports claiming Al-Ettifaq no longer have the budget available to be able to offer him a new deal.
However, the experienced defender looks set to remain in the Saudi Arabian top flight after entering discussions over a Bosman free transfer move to star-studded rivals Al-Hilal, who are managed by former Italy international Simone Inzaghi. Currently second in the league table, The Scottish Sun claim they are ready to offer a ‘lucrative deal’ to Hendry in order to secure his signature.
The move would see him link up with former Real Madrid pair Karim Benzema and Theo Hernandez, while ex-English Premier League stars such as Ruben Neves and Darwin Nunez also currently ply their trade at the Kingdom Arena.
The ex-Celtic and Dundee man defended his decision to move to Saudi Arabia last year, praising the quality of the league, and in particular Al-Hilal: “It's a really good test week in, week out for me. Al Hilal has just brought in Darwin Nunez. They've got a young Brazilian striker, Marcos Leonardo. The midfield is really strong with Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves.
“You're getting tested against international players. They might not be international players from the top nations. For me, it's just embracing whatever country I go to, learning the culture and most importantly, getting better as a player. I feel that these tests that I get each week only help.
Former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema currently plays for Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.placeholder image
Former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema currently plays for Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. | SNS Group
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“I think touching on the Saudi Pro League, each week I'm playing against international players. That's even the teams in the lower parts of the league. Obviously, the higher you go, the bigger calibre the player gets. Maybe America doesn't have that as such because they can only have three designated players. I think the calibre of players in this league is probably more substantial than the MLS. That's no fault of the MLS. The Saudi Pro League is getting stronger and stronger. You've got eight foreigners at each club, and each of them are internationals.”