Manchester City Negotiates with Al-Qadsiah for Tijjani Reijnders

Manchester City are deep in negotiations with Al-Qadsiah over the sale of Tijjani Reijnders, with a deal edging towards the €60 million mark, according to Fabrizio Romano. The clubs are closing in on an agreement. The player is not there yet.

Reijnders still needs convincing. At 28, under contract at the Etihad until 2030, he stands at a crossroads: fight for his place in one of Europe’s most demanding midfields, or cash in on a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia and reset his career in a very different environment.

Nottingham Forest wait in the background. The Premier League side are tracking the situation closely, ready to pounce if the talks with Al-Qadsiah stall or if Reijnders decides he wants to stay in England rather than head to the Saudi Pro League.

It has been a swift, sharp rise and a slightly jarring reality check for the Netherlands international. Manchester City paid €55 million to prise him from AC Milan last summer, where he had grown into one of the club’s standout performers. In Milan, he was untouchable. In Manchester, he started like he might be the same.

Early on, he looked at home in City’s intricate patterns, knitting play together and driving from midfield. Then the minutes began to slip away. Competition intensified, the rotation bit, and Reijnders gradually found himself watching more often than starting.

Even so, his numbers underline his quality. Across last season he logged 2,810 minutes in all competitions for City, scoring seven goals – five of them in the Premier League – and laying on eight assists. Solid production for a player who never fully nailed down an undisputed starting role.

For City, a €60 million fee would represent a quick profit on a player signed only a year ago. For Reijnders, the decision is far more complex. He already has 35 caps for the Netherlands and sits in the prime years of his career. Leaving a club that regularly chases every major trophy for a new project in Saudi Arabia is not a straightforward call.

The move would mirror the path taken by fellow Dutchman Crysencio Summerville, who joined Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League after impressing on the World Cup stage. Summerville’s switch underlined how attractive the Saudi project has become for players in their peak, not just those in the twilight of their careers.

Now Reijnders must decide whether to follow that same route, stay and fight for a bigger role under Manchester City’s demanding standards, or consider a different kind of challenge with Nottingham Forest. One choice, three very different futures.