.svg&w=384&q=75 "Naijagoal logo"){kind=small}
Tijjani Reijnders Completes Move to Al-Qadsiah
Tijjani Reijnders’ brief Manchester City story is over. The next chapter takes him to Saudi Arabia.
The Netherlands midfielder has completed a £52m move to Al-Qadsiah, drawing a line under a one-season spell in Manchester that never quite caught fire, despite the medals.
From Milan hope to Saudi switch
City paid £46.5m to prise Reijnders from AC Milan last summer, convinced the 28-year-old could add drive and control to Pep Guardiola’s midfield. On paper, he played his part: 50 appearances in all competitions, seven goals, and both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup lifted in Guardiola’s final season in charge.
Yet the feeling lingered that he never fully became one of City’s untouchables. He featured often, but rarely as the heartbeat.
That sense of distance sharpened under new manager Enzo Maresca. When City lined up for the Community Shield against Arsenal on Sunday, Reijnders was nowhere to be seen. Maresca left him out of the squad entirely as City slipped to a flat 3-0 defeat. The writing looked clear enough.
World Cup starter, City substitute
Reijnders’ status with the national team tells a different story. He started all three of the Netherlands’ group-stage matches at the 2026 World Cup, trusted in the heart of midfield on the biggest stage. Then, just as the tournament tightened, he watched from the bench as an unused substitute in their last-32 exit to Morocco.
Club and country offered contrasting roles. Central in one, peripheral in the other. The move to Al-Qadsiah is his answer.
A respectful goodbye
Reijnders leaves Manchester with gratitude, not bitterness.
"I have been incredibly privileged to play for Manchester City, and I have relished every minute of my time here," he said as the transfer was confirmed.
"From the very moment I arrived, everyone at the club - players, coaches and staff - made me feel so welcome and a part of the Manchester City family.
"I would also like to say a special thank you to the City fans who were so warm and supportive both to me and my family."
The tone is familiar, but the emotion feels genuine. One season, two trophies, and a sense of what might have been.
Rodgers’ new project
Al-Qadsiah, managed by former Liverpool and Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, have handed Reijnders a five-year contract. It is a clear statement: he is not arriving as a squad option, but as a cornerstone.
For Rodgers, it is another technically polished midfielder to build around. For Reijnders, it is guaranteed responsibility, a long-term deal, and the chance to be a leading figure rather than a rotation piece.
City’s midfield exodus
His departure is not an isolated move. City’s midfield is being ripped up and rewritten.
Rodri has already gone, completing a £65m transfer to Barcelona. Bernardo Silva has left at the end of his contract, joining Real Madrid on a free. Now Reijnders follows them out of the Etihad door.
Three major midfielders gone in one summer. A new manager in Maresca. A heavy defeat in the Community Shield. City are not just evolving; they are being forced into a full-scale reconfiguration.
Reijnders has chosen his path, swapping Manchester for Al-Qadsiah and the Rodgers project. The real question now hangs over the blue half of Manchester: after so much change in the middle of the pitch, what will City’s next version actually look like when the season bites?
