Jack Hendry is to leave Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq amid issues with their budget, it is being reported.
The ex-Celtic defender is in his third season with the Middle East club; he has now made more appearances for them than any other club.
The news continues a trend of Saudis withdrawing sports investments as the Saudi PIF and Ministry of Sport scale back overall sports investments by roughly 20% due to factors like fluctuating oil prices and spiralling costs of other national “giga-projects”.
Whilst the PIF fund LIV Golf and the nation’s four biggest football clubs, the Ministry of Sport take care of Ettifaq.
Who is the worst Celtic signing of all time?
Jack Hendry to leave Al-Ettifaq amid lack of ‘acceptable renewal’
According to Ben Jacobs, Ettifaq “lack the budget to offer [an] acceptable renewal” to Hendry, so he has amicably agreed to depart.
Ex-Liverpool and PSG midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum will also leave the club. Both were signed while ex-Rangers boss Steven Gerrard was in charge.
READ MORE: Aiden McGeady remembers ‘unlucky Rangers’ clip and emotional Celtic title race
Hendry is now an experienced defender with 36 caps for Scotland, and is unlikely to be short on suitors for a free transfer in the summer.
Celtic hero Moussa Dembele is teammates with Hendry at Ettifaq. Earlier this month, they faced local rivals Al-Qadsiah, managed by Brendan Rodgers.
In a perfectly scripted sequence of events, Dembele and Hendry both scored against Rodgers’ side, inflicting the Irishman’s first defeat at the club.
Hendry was signed by Rodgers at Celtic in January 2018 in a bizarre three-club domino which saw Scott Bain’s loan from Dundee to Hibs terminated in order for him to join Celtic and Scott Allan to move to Easter Road.
Inexperienced and raw at the time, he struggled with his form, particularly in the Champions League qualifiers.
He eventually moved on loan to Australia and later Belgium, where he earned a £4.5 million move to Club Brugge with his form at Oostende.
Which former Celtic player are you picking to come back?
Jack Hendry on ‘coming on leaps and bounds’ in Saudi Arabia
Speaking about his Saudi experience to The Herald earlier this season, Hendry said: “I think if anyone gets the opportunity to go abroad and have these types of experiences, then I can only say that it should definitely be something that they should be taking.
“Then once you do it you need to properly buy into it and grasp it because for sure it will only help your career.
“I’ve embraced the country and the culture. I do really enjoy it out here [Saudi]. I’ve had numerous offers since I’ve been here and chosen to stay.
“My contract is up at the end of the season. They [Al-Ettifaq] are working behind the scenes to extend that or to put a proposal on the table that would make me stay longer.”
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
