Reijnders Faces Crucial Decision Amid Saudi Offer for Man City Midfielder
Tijjani Reijnders is only a year into his Manchester City career, and already the ground is shifting beneath his feet.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano and other outlets report that Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah have tabled a €60 million offer for the Dutch midfielder. An agreement with Manchester City is said to be in place. The last word now belongs to Reijnders.
That is where the story gets complicated.
At 28, the midfielder is in his prime. The move would mean a dramatic change of scenery and competitive level, and reports suggest he still has serious doubts about whether a switch to Saudi Arabia is the right step at this stage of his career. The money, though, is hard to ignore. The package on offer in the Gulf is expected to dwarf anything he could earn by staying in England or joining another European club.
And there is interest in Europe. Nottingham Forest and Galatasaray have both reportedly registered their admiration, presenting Reijnders with a very different kind of choice: sporting challenge and familiar spotlight versus a lucrative leap into the Saudi project.
Productive, But Never Untouchable Under Guardiola
On paper, Reijnders has every reason to feel he belongs at the top level. Last season under Pep Guardiola, he was a regular presence, even if not one of the untouchable names on the team sheet.
He played 50 matches in all competitions and produced 15 direct goal contributions: seven goals and eight assists. Those are serious numbers for a midfielder operating in crowded areas of the pitch, often asked to knit together City’s intricate attacking patterns.
Yet he never quite crossed into the inner circle of guaranteed starters. In a squad as deep and ruthless as City’s, that matters. And with Guardiola gone, the landscape has shifted again.
Maresca’s Midfield Puzzle
Enzo Maresca inherits a squad overflowing with midfield talent, and the Italian coach has options everywhere Reijnders likes to operate.
City have already invested heavily in that area, headlined by the €135 million signing of Elliot Anderson. Around him, Matheus Nunes, Nico Gonzalez, Mateo Kovacic, Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden and Claudio Echeverri can all feature in central or attacking midfield roles.
That is a traffic jam, not a pathway.
For a player weighing his next move, the message is clear: minutes will have to be fought for, and nothing is guaranteed. If Reijnders wants to be the heartbeat of a team rather than one of many high-level pieces, Al Qadsiah’s proposal – or a more central role at Forest or Galatasaray – suddenly looks more appealing.
Rodri Uncertainty and the Enzo Fernandez Plan
Hovering over all of this is the unresolved future of Rodri. Barcelona are pushing hard for the Spanish world and European champion, and there is still no agreement on a transfer fee.
If Rodri does go, City’s midfield equation changes again. The 10-time Premier League champions would almost certainly move back into the market, and one name sits at the top of their list: Enzo Fernandez.
Maresca knows Fernandez well from their shared time at Chelsea, and the Argentine is regarded internally as the preferred solution. But City are not alone. Real Madrid are also in the frame, and Chelsea have drawn a hard line.
According to The Athletic, any club wanting Fernandez must meet a €140 million price tag by Friday evening. No negotiation, no extensions – just the deadline and the number.
If that deal explodes into life, it could reshape the entire midfield hierarchy at City. If it doesn’t, and Rodri stays put, Reijnders might find himself squeezed even further.
For now, the clock is ticking on two fronts: Chelsea’s deadline for Fernandez, and Reijnders’ own decision on whether to trade the Etihad for the desert, or stay and fight for relevance in one of the most crowded midfields in Europe.
