Where Jordan Henderson ranks among the top 25 Eredivisie earners of 2023-24

Ben Stewart • 19 Jan 2024

Jordan Henderson has completed a move to Ajax following a disappointing spell in Saudi Arabia, but where does the former Liverpool captain rank among the Eredivisie’s top earners?

While the 33-year-old was adamant that he made the switch to Al-Ettifaq in order to grow the game in Saudi Arabia, it’s pretty obvious that he was attracted by the large paycheque.

While playing for Al-Ettifaq, Henderson was reportedly earning a weekly wage of £663,631 which made him the sixth highest-paid player in the Saudi Pro League.

It’s safe to say that he’s not earning anywhere near those sorts of figures playing for Ajax. According to The Mirror, Henderson will earn a base wage of £85,000-a-week at Ajax which will rise to £110,000-a-week after bonuses.

That’s a significant pay drop from what he was earning in Saudi Arabia, although it still ranks him as one of the highest-paid players in the Eredivisie.

Unsurprisingly, Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV players dominate the highest-earners list in the Eredivisie. In fact, the entire top 25 list is exclusively made up of players from those three clubs.

Prior to Henderson’s arrival, former Tottenham star Steven Bergwijn was the highest-paid player in the league as he currently earns a weekly salary of just over £76,000.

Unsurprisingly, Ajax dominate the top of the list as five of the top 10 earners all play for John van ‘t Schip’s side. The rest of the top 10 is made up of Feyenoord and PSV players.

Van ‘t Schip is excited to have Henderson on board at Ajax as the Dutch manager has claimed he was after an experienced midfielder in the January window.

“We wanted an experienced midfielder with leadership qualities,” the Ajax boss told the club website. “Partially due to injuries in the team, we were looking for someone who could step in immediately. Jordan Henderson is that type of player.

“His arrival means a huge enhancement for our squad. Both on and off the pitch, a football player of this calibre is important for our many young players.

“He’s an English international player and has won the Champions League and many other prizes with Liverpool. I am happy he’s here, and I think it’s very good for our club that he’s an Ajacied from today onwards.”

Here’s the full breakdown of the Eredivisie’s top 25 best-paid players – featuring their weekly and annual wages (in brackets). Their estimated salaries are via Capology.

25. David Hancko (Feyenoord) – £19,872 (£1,033,360)
24. Kenneth Taylor (Ajax) – £19,872 (£1,033,360)
23. Andre Ramalho (PSV) – £22,025 (£1,145,308)
22. Noa Lang (PSV) – £26,496 (£1,377,814)
21. Chuba Akpom (Ajax) – £27,490 (£1,429,482
20. Walter Benitez (PSV) – £27,821 (£1,446,705)
19. Santiago Gimenez (Feyenoord) – £29,146 (£1,515,595)
18. Ramiz Zerrouki (Feyenoord) – £29,146 (£1,515,595)
17. Jerdy Schouten (PSV) – £32,458 (£1,687,822)
16. Borna Sosa (Ajax) – £32,458 (£1,687,822)
15. Luuk de Jong (PSV) – £32,789 (£1,705,045)
14. Geronimo Rulli (Ajax) – £35,770 (£1,860,049)
13. Patrick van Aanholt (PSV) – £37,095 (£1,928,940)
12. Branco van den Boomen (Ajax) – £38,917 (£2,023,664)
11. Ricardo Pepi (PSV) – £38,917 (£2,023,664)
10. Calvin Stengs (Feyenoord) – £40,573 (£2,109,778)
9. Josip Sutalo (Ajax) – £41,401 (£2,152,834)
8. Lutsharel Geertruida (PSV) – £42,229 (£2,195,891)
7. Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord) – £48,687 (£2,531,733)
6. Sergino Dest (PSV) – £49,681 (££2,583,401)
5. Brian Brobbey (Ajax) – £49,681 (£2,583,401)
4. Hirving Lozano (PSV) – £58,458 (£3,039,802)
3. Steven Berghuis (Ajax) – £66,241 (£3,444,535)
2. Steven Bergwijn (Ajax) – £76,177 (£3,961,215)
1. Jordan Henderson (Ajax) – £85,000 (£4,420,000)

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the 25 most expensive transfers of all time?

Ajax Jordan Henderson Quick Reads Eredivisie