Reijnders leaves Man City for Al-Qadsiah in £52m deal

Tijjani Reijnders, a 28-year-old Netherlands midfielder, has transferred from Manchester City to Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah in a £52 million deal. Reijnders joined City last summer from AC Milan for £46.5 million but had limited playing time. During his time at City, he made 50 appearances, scoring seven goals and helping the team win both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup under Pep Guardiola's leadership.

Reijnders featured in all three of the Netherlands' group-stage matches at the 2026 World Cup but was a bench replacement in their elimination match against Morocco. In his statement, Reijnders expressed gratitude for his time at City, praising the welcome he received from all club personnel and the warm support from fans. However, City's new manager Enzo Maresca excluded Reijnders from the squad for Sunday's loss to Arsenal.

The Dutch player has signed a five-year contract with Al-Qadsiah, managed by Brendan Rodgers, who previously coached Liverpool and Celtic. This move follows other recent departures from City, including Rodri's £65 million transfer to Barcelona, Bernardo Silva's free transfer to Real Madrid, and Nico Gonzalez's potential move to Newcastle.

City is also in talks with Lille regarding Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi and remains hopeful about signing Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez.