Nottingham Forest Eye Tijjani Reijnders Transfer

Nottingham Forest are testing Manchester City’s resolve over Tijjani Reijnders, sensing an opportunity in a market where cash and minutes on the pitch often pull in different directions.

The Midlands club are weighing up a £55 million bid for the Netherlands international, who arrived at the Etihad only last summer after a standout spell at AC Milan. City paid for his promise; a year on, they are still waiting for the full return.

Reijnders’ first season in England never quite caught fire. Nineteen Premier League starts under Pep Guardiola tell its own story: trusted at times, but never truly indispensable. For a 28-year-old in his prime, stuck on the fringes of one of Europe’s deepest squads, the situation has quickly become unsustainable.

Now the dynamic has shifted. According to reports, Reijnders is open to leaving Manchester in search of regular football. He wants games, not cameos. Forest, armed with fresh money and a clear need for top-level experience in midfield, see an opening.

A £60m question

City, though, are not in the business of cut-price exits. Their valuation sits closer to £60m, a figure that has already cooled interest elsewhere. Atletico Madrid previously explored a move earlier in the window, only to walk away when they hit that price wall.

Forest must decide whether they are prepared to go where Atletico would not.

Financially, they are in a stronger position than many. The sale of Elliot Anderson to City for a fee reported to reach up to £116m has transformed their summer. That deal has given Forest serious room to manoeuvre, and the ambition at the City Ground has grown in step with the balance sheet.

The temptation is obvious: cash in one midfielder at a premium, reinvest in a proven international, and accelerate the rebuild.

But this is not a straightforward splash. Reijnders is 28. He has struggled to fully adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League. Any outlay in the region of £55–60m would be a statement, but also a risk with limited resale value down the line.

Risk, reward, and a restless midfielder

For Forest, the equation is as much about timing as talent. They are not shopping for potential; they are shopping for impact. Reijnders brings Champions League experience, Serie A pedigree and the technical quality that first attracted City and Milan. What he does not bring is a recent body of work that screams guaranteed success in England.

That is the crux of the internal debate at the City Ground. Is this the moment to push hard for a player whose ceiling remains high but whose Premier League sample size is underwhelming? Or do they hold their nerve and look for a younger, cheaper option with more upside?

Reijnders’ stance tilts the scales slightly in Forest’s favour. His openness to a move, and his desire for a central role rather than a rotational one, makes Forest an attractive destination. He would walk into a team where he matters every week, not just on rotation days.

City, though, can afford to be patient. Their midfield is stacked, their finances robust, and their negotiating position clear. They will not be rushed into accepting a discount simply because a player wants a new start.

Somewhere between Forest’s £55m thinking and City’s £60m line in the sand lies the deal. Whether either side is prepared to blink will define how this story ends.

For now, Forest have the money, the need and a willing target. The only question is how far they are prepared to go to turn a restless squad player at the Etihad into a centrepiece at the City Ground.