In League of Legends, Team Liquid has sidelined its long-time midlaner Nicolaj “Jensen” Jensen. He was contracted for 3 years in 2020 at the age of 25. Allegedly, he was to receive $4.2 million. But by 2021, the fun was already over. He is being replaced by the only midlaner in the USA who is even more famous and who did not want to stay retired.
What kind of deal was that?
- In 2020, Team Liquid gave their midlaner Jensen a 3-year contract. Rumor has it he was to receive $4.2 million. This was supposedly a record deal at the time (via. reuters). Jensen was 25 years old.
- This was unusual, as LoL professionals rarely play beyond their mid-20s. But the Dane Jensen had become a champion twice with Team Liquid in the LCS in 2019 and was considered one of the best midlaners in the USA.
- However, things didn’t go as well for Team Liquid in 2021. The team finished in a disappointing fifth place. Now, Jensen has been released from his contract. He is a free agent.
The second most famous midlaner in the USA is replaced by the most famous
Why does Jensen have to go? It’s absurd. Because Jensen is being replaced by the only midlaner who has an even bigger name in the USA than he does: by Bjergsen (25), his Danish countryman. Only two German midlaners playing in the LCS as legionnaires are nearly as good as the two but neither is as popular as the Danes.
Bjergsen had actually retired after a terrible Worlds in 2020 and continued to work as a coach, but that apparently wasn’t enough for him. Bjergsen has announced his return as a player but will not stay at TSM, where he was for 8 years, but instead will switch to Team Liquid.
Thus, a 25-year-old Dane replaces a 26-year-old Dane at Team Liquid.
At TSM, things have reportedly been a bit uncomfortable in the last few months.
The US team is now a European outpost
Why is Bjergsen switching to Team Liquid?
Team Liquid has now assembled a kind of “super team” and is swapping players in 3 positions. The team no longer has a US player, but instead has 4 Europeans and one South Korean. In 2021, they at least had one American under contract, Tactical.
However, players like Bjergsen are considered “US players” because they have lived in the USA for so long that they no longer fall under the “foreign player” limit.
Team Liquid will now be a “super team” with Bwipo on the top lane, Bjergsen in the mid lane, and Hans sama/CoreJJ on the bot lane. The Dane Santorin will play in the jungle.
These are all experienced players and big names – apparently, there was simply no room left in the team for Jensen.
Jensen is now available for free – but teams have finished planning
What does Jensen say? He saw it coming that there was no place for him in the new team and already mentioned a month ago that it might be that he won’t find a team in 2022.
Apparently, Team Liquid originally wanted to achieve a high transfer fee for him, but found no one willing to pay that, and has now made him a free agent.
As Jensen says, he no longer has a transfer fee and can switch to a new club for free.
It is unclear what has happened to his lucrative contract, which would have still been valid for 2 more years. One possibility is that he was paid out.
For Jensen, it will now be difficult to find a new team, as the roster planning for 2022 is finished at most teams. Jensen apparently is not yet thinking about retirement at 26. But hey, Faker is still playing at 25 as well.
