Image credit: LoL Esports (composite)
Update — Nov. 5, 2020: Nicolaj "Jensen" Jensen has officially rejoined Team Liquid on a three-year contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Danish mid laner Nicolaj "Jensen" Jensen is set to return to Team Liquid's League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) roster for three years on a seven-figure salary according to a report by independent esports journalist Travis Gafford. The news comes days after ESPN Esports' Jacob Wolf reported on a seven-figure deal between the team and Astralis's top laner Barney "Alphari" Morris.
Since joining the organization, Jensen won two titles in 2019, reached the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational finals, and exited the World Championship during the group stage 3-3 twice: in 2019 and 2020 - most recently falling in a group that included finalists Suning and semifinalists G2 Esports. Although his contract was set to expire in Nov. 2020, his offseason may have ended before it began as he prolongs his stay within the team with a three-year deal.
The move allows Team Liquid to secure one of the best mid laners in the North American League of Legends scene, one that comes with LCS residency at that. With that in mind, the organization is free to shop for players in two other roles as their contracts with top laner Jung "Impact" Eon-yeong and with jungler Mads "Broxah" Brock-Pedersen expire in Nov. 2020.
One of the positions may have been filled, according to Jacob Wolf's report on ESPN, as Team Liquid is signing Alphari away from the League of Legends European Championship (LEC). Alphari is among the top European top laners, one whose services were reportedly contested between LEC-side Rogue and Team Liquid, as his performances on a struggling Origen (6-12, 10th in the 2020 summer split) allowed them to occasionally contend despite lacking performances from other lanes.
However, Alphari's signing would deny Team Liquid the opportunity to extend an offer to Broxah as they would be over the two-import limit. Currently, the North American organization is fielding support Jo "CoreJJ" Yong-in, a LCK resident. With him and Alphari, TL's options at the jungle are limited to LCS residents, chief among them being FlyQuest's Lucas "Santorin" Larssen.
Another solution could be their former jungler, Jake "Xmithie" Puchero, as Immortals have declined to exercise their team option on his contract according to another ESPN Esports report, turning him into a free agent. However, the jungler is emerging from a tough 2020 season, his benching from IMT's LCS roster after the spring season standing as a potential deterrent for his former team.
