Maresca Discusses Reijnders Likely Exit from Manchester City

Enzo Maresca cut a realistic figure as he addressed Tijani Reijnders’ future at Manchester City, openly accepting that last season’s frustrations are now shaping this one.

Asked if Reijnders’ situation mirrors that of Omar Marmoush and James Trafford, whose limited roles pushed them towards the exit, Maresca didn’t hesitate.

“Probably, yes,” he said. “They all work every day, they do sessions every day and at the end of the week they all want to play a game. When they don't play, they struggle to understand or see the reason why. I can understand that after one season, some of them would like to play a little bit more. It's a normal situation."

That word – normal – carried a certain inevitability. This is the churn of an elite squad: players arrive with ambition, then collide with the reality of competition for places.

Pressed on whether he has tried to convince Reijnders to stay, Maresca was blunt.

“It's a bit difficult to convince players when they are already convinced, it's not always easy. It's Tijani's situation,” he admitted. “I think when the club, players, manager, they all think in the same way, that is probably the best decision for a player to go? They go."

No drama, no public tug-of-war. Just a manager acknowledging that once all three parties align, the outcome tends to be straightforward.

Maresca did, though, make clear that he had a plan for the Dutchman if he remained. Reijnders is not gone yet, but the clock is ticking.

“Tij is not officially done, but we'll see in the next hour,” he said. “I already spoke with him a few times in pre-season, then we will see if he is going to leave or if he is going to stay.”

What stings for City is that Maresca actually liked what he saw in the summer.

“In the way he was playing in the pre-season games, I was quite happy with his performance overall,” he explained. “I know Tij from Italy, from Milan when he was there so I know him quite well. I know there he was playing in a different position, he likes to play a little more deep rather than high up the pitch, but again in the pre-season he was good, then we'll see what happens and we'll decide."

A manager who knows the player, a role tailored to his strengths, and yet a likely departure looming. For City and Maresca, the question now is not what Reijnders could have been this season, but who comes next into a squad where patience is running as short as opportunities.