Move to Saudi Arabia
On Wednesday, Manchester City and Saudi club Al-Qadsiah announced the transfer of Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah. The 28-year-old signed a five-year contract with the Saudi club, owned by the state oil giant Aramco. The deal was confirmed via social media posts from both sides.
Financial Details
The transfer fee was £52 million, roughly $70 million. This amount is close to the sum City received for selling midfielder Rodri to Barcelona earlier that week. City also bought England midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million and is reportedly pursuing Lille’s teenage talent Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Reijnders’ Background
Reijnders spent just one season at City after moving from AC Milan. During that time he helped the club win both English domestic cup competitions, including two finals at Wembley. On Instagram he thanked City: "Two finals at Wembley and a season I’ll always look back on. Thank you, City."
International Career
Reijnders played all three of the Netherlands’ group-stage games at the World Cup, then was benched in a Round-of-32 loss to Morocco after a 1-1 draw. The match ended in a penalty shoot-out against Morocco.
Al-Qadsiah and Coaching
Al-Qadsiah, based in the coastal city of Al-Khobar, finished fourth in the Saudi Pro League last season. The club is coached by former Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers. Al-Qadsiah aims to strengthen its squad with Reijnders’ European and Premier League experience.
Conclusion
With this deal, Reijnders completes his move to Saudi Arabia, signing a long-term contract, while Manchester City continues to reshape its squad under new manager Enzo Maresca. Al-Qadsiah prepares to welcome a player with extensive international experience for the upcoming season.
