Tijjani Reijnders Shines in Saudi Arabia with Stunning Performance

Tijjani Reijnders is wasting no time justifying his price tag in Saudi Arabia.

The Netherlands midfielder, who arrived at Al-Qadsiah from Manchester City in the summer, delivered a statement performance on Tuesday night in the Roshn League, driving his new side past Al-Ahli at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam.

He didn’t ease his way into the contest. He ripped it open.

On 14 minutes, Reijnders collected the ball on the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a fierce strike that flew beyond Al-Ahli’s Senegalese goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. One touch, one decision, one ruthless finish. Al-Qadsiah had their lead, and their record signing had his second goal for the club.

The tempo suited him, and he played like a man who understood the stage. As Al-Qadsiah pushed on, Reijnders kept demanding the ball, knitting attacks together, drifting into space. The visitors struggled to contain him, and the pressure built.

It told again in first-half stoppage time. Three minutes into added time, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat swung in a cross and Reijnders timed his run perfectly, rising to guide a header home for Al-Qadsiah’s third of the night. A thunderbolt and then a poacher’s finish: two very different goals, the same cold efficiency.

That brace takes him to three goals in the Roshn League since his move from Manchester City. The first came early in his Saudi adventure, in only his second appearance, during Al-Qadsiah’s 2-0 win over Neom in the third round. Now he has followed it up with a performance that felt like a personal announcement to the rest of the division.

It already eclipses his initial output in England. During his early spell at Manchester City last season, Reijnders managed just one goal in his first four matches, scoring against Wolverhampton on the opening weekend of the Premier League. In Saudi Arabia, he has found rhythm and end product far more quickly.

The context matters. Al-Qadsiah made Reijnders the most expensive signing in their history, paying a reported 61 million euros to bring him in from Manchester City in the last summer transfer window. That kind of fee brings scrutiny, expectation, and pressure.

Right now, he looks ready to carry all three.