With Steven Gerrard's Al Ettifaq struggling for form before their winter break, the last thing he would need is a key player to up sticks and leave in January. However, that is exactly the conundrum the Liverpool icon faces as things go from bad to worse in Saudi Arabia.

Pressure has been building on Gerrard to improve results with over £30m spent on improving his squad over the past 18 months. Unfortunately he has come no closer to turning his side into title challengers, as come the 2024/25 winter break they sit 11th in an 18-team table - closer to relegation than continental football.

Part of a poor start to the current season has been a run of eight winless league fixtures, during which time the former Reds captain watched as his assistant Dean Holden and sporting director Mark Allen were fired.

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Now another critical blow at the worst time for Gerrard comes in the form of losing one of his signings, again. According to Le Parisien, Ivorian midfielder Seko Fofana is set to move back to European football with Ligue 1 outfit Rennes next month.

Gerrard had the 29-year-old on loan for the season from Al Nassr, whom he had joined from another French club RC Lens for £20m in 2023.

But Fofana's medical is now said to be completed, so he will ditch his time with Ettifaq to return to one of Europe's main leagues.

This is somewhat reminiscent of Jordan Henderson's saga 12 months ago. The Liverpool captain before Virgil van Dijk had joined his ex-Anfield teammate on a Gulf state adventure at the age of 33, in summer 2023.

However, only months after his controversial Reds exit the England international found life in the Saudi Pro League to not be as expected, so secured a 2023/24 mid-season return to Europe playing for Ajax, leaving Gerrard's vision behind.