Ajax recently confirmed a two-and-a-half-year deal with English midfielder Jordan Henderson, and many 12BET Malaysia users have focused on the fact that he became the first major European star to return after moving to the Saudi league. Even more striking, he left before completing even half a season there. As the saying goes, with time, the wrong ties drift away while the real ones stay close, and Henderson’s decision was clearly more than a simple transfer.

Last summer, Henderson joined Al Ettifaq after receiving an invitation from Steven Gerrard, the club’s newly appointed manager. At the time, he explained that his decision was not only about money, but also about the club’s long-term football vision. Yet less than six months later, he strongly wanted to return to Europe and eventually chose the Netherlands. The main reason was his family’s living environment. Henderson lived with his wife Rebecca and their three children in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, about 55 minutes from Dammam, because it offered a more modern lifestyle.

The energy around the Saudi league was also far from outside expectations. Al Ettifaq’s home stadium can hold around 35,000 fans, but actual average attendance was only in the low thousands, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s appearances being the rare exception. The team’s results were also bleak, with an eight-game winless run putting Gerrard’s position under pressure. International duty created another problem. Although England manager Gareth Southgate continued selecting Henderson while he was in Saudi Arabia, Henderson believed that staying in the league would make his Euro 2024 hopes more difficult.

In the end, he agreed to terminate his contract and gave up around £4 million in salary for the second half of the season to complete his Ajax move. The high salaries in Saudi football remain a powerful attraction, but Henderson is not the only star beginning to show doubts. Like the uneasy feeling that remains even after telling yourself to relax, Roberto Firmino has also become a clear example of a player who has not fully settled.

After leaving Liverpool as a free agent, Firmino joined Al Ahli and was named captain. However, after scoring a hat trick on opening day, he failed to score again, was stripped of the captaincy, and slipped to the bench. Firmino wants to return to Europe, but no European club has made a formal offer so far. The biggest obstacle is his salary. He is unwilling to accept a pay cut, which has caused most clubs to step away from negotiations. Ajax remain the only side consistently trying to persuade him, while Manchester United and Chelsea are also interested in a loan but have made little progress due to concerns over wage sharing.

Meanwhile, Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, one of the Saudi league’s biggest names, has also been facing difficulties. Based on deeper coverage followed by 12BET Malaysia, his conflict with Al Ittihad has recently become more visible. He has drawn criticism over a training absence after failing to return on time from a holiday in Mauritius. Benzema explained that a cyclone near the resort area made it difficult for his plane to take off.

However, a local pilot challenged that explanation on social media, saying the cyclone was far from Mauritius’s west coast and that flights to Saudi Arabia were operating normally. That pushed Benzema back into the center of controversy. As reports followed by 12BET Malaysia suggest, if the desire is no longer sincere, there is little reason to keep smiling through discomfort, and Benzema’s relationship with Al Ittihad now looks increasingly fragile. The club hoped he would deliver both results and marketing value, but it has not been fully satisfied on either front, and 12BET Malaysia analysis suggests the club’s patience is now wearing thin.