Tijjani Reijnders Completes £52m Move to Al-Qadsiah
Tijjani Reijnders’ brief Manchester City chapter is over. The Netherlands midfielder has completed a £52m move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah, drawing a line under a one-season stay that never quite caught fire.
The 28-year-old arrived at the Etihad last summer from AC Milan for £46.5m, billed as a versatile, forward-thinking presence for Pep Guardiola’s evolving midfield. He leaves with two domestic trophies in his pocket but without ever truly nailing down a starring role.
Reijnders still featured heavily. He made 50 appearances in all competitions, scored seven goals and played his part as City lifted both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup in Guardiola’s final season in charge. The numbers suggest trust. The feeling around the club suggested something short of inevitability about his long-term future.
On the international stage, his year followed a similar pattern. Reijnders started all three of the Netherlands’ group-stage games at the 2026 World Cup, only to watch from the bench as an unused substitute in their last-32 exit to Morocco. Prominent, but not central. Important, but not indispensable.
His farewell words to City carried the tone of a player who understood the scale of what he was leaving behind.
"I have been incredibly privileged to play for Manchester City, and I have relished every minute of my time here," Reijnders said. "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."
If there was any doubt about where he stood in the new regime, Enzo Maresca removed it last weekend. The new City manager left Reijnders out of the squad entirely for the 3-0 Community Shield defeat by Arsenal, a flat performance that only sharpened focus on the club’s reshaped midfield.
Al-Qadsiah, coached by former Liverpool and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, have moved decisively. The Saudi Pro League side have reportedly tied Reijnders to a five-year contract, adding a World Cup midfielder with major European experience to their project.
For City, this is not an isolated departure but part of a sweeping overhaul in the middle of the pitch. Reijnders becomes the latest high-profile midfielder to leave this summer, following Rodri’s £65m switch to Barcelona and Bernardo Silva’s exit at the end of his contract, the Portuguese playmaker joining Real Madrid on a free.
One season, two domestic cups, 50 games, seven goals – and now a £52m sale. City move on under Maresca. Reijnders starts again under Rodgers in Saudi Arabia. The question is not what he was at the Etihad, but what he becomes next.
