Jordan Henderson and Liverpool have reached an agreement in principle on a new contract for the club captain, according to reports.
Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho and Alisson Becker have recently signed new long-term deals with the Reds.
Negotiations with Henderson had been struggling to progress, though, and some feared that he could depart the club next summer.
The midfielder’s current deal runs until 2023 but Liverpool are not prepared to let any other players let their contracts run down after Gini Wijnaldum departed on a free transfer this summer.
But according to The Athletic, Liverpool have taken a huge step closer to securing Henderson’s future.
A breakthrough was made after the 31-year-old returned from his post-Euro 2020 holiday in July.
The Reds offered an improved three-year deal with the option of a fourth, and Henderson is expected to sign up to those terms in the coming weeks.
Jurgen Klopp is said to have played a pivotal role in convincing his captain to stay put.
The German explained he was feeling relaxed about Henderson’s situation in a press conference on Friday, before his team beat Norwich 3-0 the following day.
“It is important but it will happen,” the German explained about the process in a news conference on Friday.
“We will sort it, however it will be. We will sort it. No doubt about that. It will get sorted.”
Monday’s news will be welcomed by Liverpool fans who might have been starting to worry that Henderson’s days were numbered.
The former Sunderland man has been an integral part of everything Liverpool have achieved under Klopp.
He had a difficult start to life at Anfield but has become the beating heart of the team in recent years.
Liverpool might not have spent much in this summer’s transfer market, but they have made great efforts to tie down some of their key players to new contracts.
That is a smart strategy. Liverpool cannot compete with Chelsea and Manchester City for transfer fees, but they can do their utmost to ensure the pillars of the team stay put.
