Saudi Pro League chief claims 'no one is to blame' for Jordan Henderson's exit

Saudi Pro League CEO Saad Allazeez has downplayed the significance of Jordan Henderson's decision to join Ajax after just six months in the Middle East.

Henderson's move to the Dutch giants was confirmed on Thursday evening after he agreed to terminate his Al-Ettifaq contract earlier this week.

His hasty exit comes amid struggles to settle in Saudi Arabia, but Allazeez believes this is an isolated incident rather than a common issue for new players moving to the league.

Reflecting on Henderson's departure, Allazeez said: 'This is all just part of football, all across the world and life, across all careers. Sometimes, despite best efforts, people don’t always adjust or settle and that can impact performances and lead to frustrations for all.

'Jordan is a good guy and it’s a shame that things didn’t work out for him, but he’d be the first to admit that full support was given to him and respect shown. So everyone tried and no one is to blame.

'I’m pleased the club acted fast as they have to protect their own interests as well as the player and this instance, this is all for the best. Since their financial conditions for cancelling the contract were agreed, they can now make full use of the winter break and transfer window to reset and go again.'

The Saudi Pro League have splashed the cash over the past 12 months, enticing superstars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar to leave Europe behind.

Mail Sport revealed last week that they have opted to increase the number of overseas players permitted to play for each team in a bid to target the best young talent from across the globe.

Despite losing Henderson within a matter of months of his arrival, Allazeez still expects the Saudi Pro League to bring in top players,