Reijnders was named Serie A’s Best Midfielder for the 2024-25 season
After a bruising campaign that left Manchester City trophyless for the first time in nearly a decade, the first sign of a midfield rebuild has emerged in the form of Tijjani Reijnders, a quietly consistent Dutch international who has been on an upward trajectory over the past two years.
The 26-year-old midfielder, who was named Serie A’s Best Midfielder for the 2024-25 season, is nearing a £46 million move from AC Milan to the Etihad, with Pep Guardiola identifying him as a key piece to fit into the City midfield. The deal, though still awaiting final confirmation, is close enough that Reijnders himself has acknowledged discussions are ongoing, even as he remains focused on international duty with the Netherlands.
“Is it true that I have already agreed personally? There are still a few final details to be ironed out,” Reijnders told Dutch media. “It’s a matter of waiting and seeing. I can’t say any more about it. I am still an AC Milan player and I have to respect that. I’m also waiting to see what the clubs will do.”
The Dutchman’s arrival comes at just the right time, when Guardiola’s once-invincible squad was starting to look mortal. Kevin De Bruyne has departed, Ilkay Gundogan looks like age has finally caught up with him, and Bernardo Silva is no longer the player he was a few years back.
There might be no one better to help Guardiola fix things up than Serie A’s best midfielder last season.
A modern box-to-box midfielder
A modern box-to-box midfielder by his own description, Reijnders made 54 appearances for Milan last season, scoring 15 goals across all competitions. He can play at the base of a midfield three if needed, so he could be an alternative to Rodri when the Spaniard needs a rest. But he will most likely play in central midfield, given the license to venture into attacking areas and try to explore chinks in the armour of opposing teams in City’s heavy possession style.
Speaking about the midfielder to BBC Sport, Italian football journalist Daniele Verri said: “He has played in different systems at AC Milan, but in my opinion he’s at his best when he doesn’t play too far from the opponent’s penalty area, because he really has good runs and can enter the area easily.”
Reijnders played all but three of Milan’s games last season, two of which he missed due to suspension and one as an unused substitute. His consistency in fitness will be valuable to City as clubs around Europe deal with congested schedules and mounting injury problems.
”I’m always fit, which is also an advantage,” said the midfielder. “Fortunately, I’ve always been fit so far and I hope to stay that way for as long as possible.
He humorously attributed the secret behind his fitness to lifestyle and upbringing.
“How can I play so many games? Eating well, that’s the secret. My mother’s fried rice works wonders!” he joked, before saying: “I listen carefully to my body and pay close attention to what I need before and after games.”
Reijnders has also regularly looked to the best for guidance. Discussing City’s departing midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne, who he could be replacing at the Etihad, he said: “I learnt a lot from how [De Bruyne] scans the area before he gets the ball.
“My father pointed that out to me and from then on I really started to pay attention to him. If you look ahead, you give yourself so much more time. I now apply that in every game.
“De Bruyne is a great player. When you look at Manchester City, I think De Bruyne is the first player you notice.”
That Reijnders may soon wear the same shirt as the Belgian is a testament to how far he’s come. He spent years in the shadows first at PEC Zwolle and then at AZ Alkmaar, with his career never really taking flight until the age of 24.
Two years later, he’s on the Dutch national team and on the brink of a move to a club with a serial winning record, under one of the most successful coaches of all time, as part of one of the world’s most expensively assembled squads.
“I had to wait a long time at AZ, but I always think, ‘the path I am on is the one I should have taken’,” said Reijnders. “I’m following that path calmly.”
