Manchester City midfielder departs for Al Qadsiah
Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has completed a permanent transfer to Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah. The move follows an agreement between the clubs for a transfer fee of around £51 million.
Reijnders spent one season at the Etihad Stadium after arriving from AC Milan for £46.5 million. During his time with Manchester City, he made 50 appearances, scored seven goals, and contributed to the team securing a domestic cup double.
The departure of Reijnders is part of a significant summer overhaul for Manchester City. This period has also seen the exits of key senior players including Rodri, John Stones, Bernardo Silva, and Nathan Ake.
Managerial Perspective and Squad Changes
New manager Enzo Maresca commented on Reijnders’ prospective move, noting the difficulty in convincing players who have already decided to leave. Maresca indicated that when the club, player, and manager are in agreement that a departure is the best decision, it should proceed.
Maresca also mentioned that other players, such as Omar Marmoush, had considered leaving the club during the summer due to frustrations from the previous season. He acknowledged that players who do not get sufficient playing time might seek moves after a season.
Reijnders was a key signing for Manchester City last summer, arriving as Serie A‘s player of the season. His abilities included carrying the ball, dictating play, and scoring goals. Manchester City had sought energy in midfield after a challenging 2024-25 season, and Reijnders was seen as a player who could provide creativity and dynamism, especially after the departures of Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan.
Despite his potential, Reijnders’ defensive contributions were noted as a weakness, even during his successful season in Italy. His goalscoring record, which saw him net 15 goals in all competitions the year before last, was his most prolific season, with only one other season seeing him score more than seven goals.
Playing Role and Future Reinforcements
Former manager Pep Guardiola had aimed to utilise Reijnders’ goalscoring ability by playing him high up the pitch, near Erling Haaland, in a role similar to how Gundogan operated in the penalty area. Guardiola had described Reijnders as a “special player arriving in the box” who could also play as a holding midfielder but preferred to assist strikers.
However, Reijnders sometimes found himself permanently stationed on the front line when opposing teams played deep, which did not appear to maximise his effectiveness. After a strong Premier League debut at Wolverhampton Wanderers, he struggled to consistently replicate that creative spark.
Sources close to the coaching setup indicated that Reijnders was not played in a deeper role, which suited him in Italy, because the team already had players like Bernardo Silva and Rodri for that position, particularly after Rodri’s return from injury. Between February and the end of the season, Reijnders did not come off the bench in nine of Manchester City‘s 14 league matches and only started two.
Sources close to the player suggested he felt a lack of faith, leading him to consider a move. Maresca noted Reijnders’ preference for a deeper role, stating, “I know that he was probably playing in a different position; he likes to play a little bit more deep than higher on the pitch.”
Manchester City is preparing for their Premier League opener against Bournemouth. The club is reportedly linked with Lille‘s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Chelsea‘s Enzo Fernandez as they seek further squad reinforcements before the transfer window closes.
The club has seen several recent arrivals, including Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Rayan Cherki, Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri, James Trafford, Marcus Bettinelli, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Antoine Semenyo, and Marc Guehi, since their rebuild began in January 2025.
The final weeks of this transfer window are expected to be crucial for Manchester City and director of football Hugo Viana, who took over from Txiki Begiristain 18 months ago.
Source: independent.co.uk
As NewsUK's Senior Football Correspondent, Thomas Beckwith reports on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side for readers across the country. He reported on three World Cups for a national news agency. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Thomas lives in Sheffield, where he watches lower-league football most weekends. “Football writing is about the decisions, not just the result.”
