City's Midfield Overhaul: Tijjani Reijnders Sold to Saudi Arabia
City’s midfield overhaul has claimed another high‑profile casualty.
According to The Independent, the club have agreed a £51 million deal to sell Tijjani Reijnders to Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah, drawing a line under the Dutchman’s Etihad stay after just one season in England.
One‑season stint, big profit
Reijnders has already agreed personal terms with the Saudi club, sealing what will be a lucrative move for both player and seller. City signed the Netherlands international from AC Milan for £46.5m last summer; twelve months on, they walk away with a profit and push their sales for this window to around £100m.
On the pitch, his numbers were solid if not spectacular: seven goals in 47 appearances across all competitions. He arrived with momentum, started brightly and looked like he might become a long‑term piece in City’s evolving midfield.
Then the hierarchy of the dressing room reasserted itself.
Pep Guardiola consistently leaned on captain Bernardo Silva and Rodri as his trusted central pairing. As the season wore on, Reijnders’ minutes shrank, his starting spot slipping away as City chased trophies with familiar lieutenants.
Ruthless reset at the Etihad
That midfield landscape now looks unrecognisable. Silva has departed, while Rodri is being heavily linked with Barcelona. Around them, the club have set about a ruthless reset, moving on senior figures and cashing in on assets to reshape the core of the side.
Reijnders, in that context, became expendable. Forest showed domestic interest, but the 26‑year‑old chose the Saudi route, joining a growing list of European names heading to the Gulf.
His sale sits alongside Nathan Ake’s move to Fenerbahce and James Trafford’s permanent switch to Leeds United, a trio of exits that underline City’s determination to bank serious fees and refresh a squad that has leaned heavily on established veterans in recent years.
The strategy is clear: sell well, then spend big.
Anderson in, more to come
Evidence of that came quickly. City have already launched a statement move in midfield, completing a £116m deal for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson. It is an eye‑watering fee, but one that screams intent from a club refusing to loosen their grip on domestic dominance.
The £100m raised from outgoing deals, including Reijnders, Ake and Trafford, hands City major financial freedom as they rebuild. The Dutchman’s departure is not just a line on a balance sheet; it’s part of a deliberate shift towards a younger, retooled engine room designed to match a new tactical vision.
And they are not done.
The money banked from Reijnders is expected to go straight back into the market. City are already studying several high‑profile midfielders across Europe, with Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez emerging as a surprise name on their list. Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi is also firmly under consideration as recruitment staff scour options to complement Anderson and whatever remains of the current core.
Reijnders heads for a new chapter in Saudi Arabia, his time in Manchester compressed into a single, hectic season. City, meanwhile, press on with one of the boldest midfield rebuilds in Europe.
The question now is simple: when the window closes, will this new‑look centre of the park be stronger than the one they’ve just torn apart?
