Tijjani Reijnders Leaves Manchester City for Al-Qadsiah
Tijjani Reijnders’ brief Manchester City chapter is over. The Netherlands midfielder has completed a £52m move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Qadsiah, drawing a line under a one-season stay that never quite caught fire.
A swift exit after a busy year
Reijnders arrived at the Etihad last summer from AC Milan in a £46.5m deal, billed as another smart addition to City’s evolving midfield. He did not hide on the fringes. Fifty appearances in all competitions, seven goals, two trophies.
He played his part as City lifted both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup in what turned out to be Pep Guardiola’s final season in charge. On paper, that looks like a success story. In reality, he struggled to truly impose himself in a squad packed with established stars and big personalities.
The shift in power on the touchline did not help his cause. New manager Enzo Maresca made an early, blunt statement by leaving Reijnders out of the squad entirely for Sunday’s 3-0 Community Shield defeat by Arsenal. The writing was on the wall long before the ink dried in Saudi Arabia.
From World Cup stage to Saudi switch
Reijnders headed into this summer with a World Cup on his CV. He started all three of the Netherlands’ group-stage matches at the 2026 tournament, only to watch from the bench as an unused substitute in their last-32 exit to Morocco. It was a snapshot of his season: trusted, involved, but not always central when it mattered most.
Still, his message on leaving City was one of gratitude, not frustration.
"I have been incredibly privileged to play for Manchester City, and I have relished every minute of my time here," he said. He spoke warmly about the welcome he received from players, coaches and staff, and reserved a special mention for the supporters: "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."
The move to Al-Qadsiah offers a reset. The 28-year-old has reportedly signed a five-year contract with the club, who are managed by former Liverpool and Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers. From Guardiola to Rodgers, from the Etihad to Saudi Arabia’s rising project – it is a stark change of landscape and expectation.
City’s midfield ripped up and rewritten
Reijnders is not leaving in isolation. City’s midfield, once the most settled department in European football, is being stripped back and rebuilt in a single summer.
Rodri, the metronome of Guardiola’s era, has gone to Barcelona in a £65m deal. Bernardo Silva, a creative heartbeat for so many of City’s biggest nights, departed at the end of his contract and joined Real Madrid on a free transfer.
Now Reijnders follows them out of the door, another name off the teamsheet and onto a departure list that grows more striking by the week.
Maresca knew he was inheriting a squad at a turning point. The scale of that transition is becoming clearer with every deal announced. City have lost experience, control and goals from the middle of the pitch. In return, they gain money, room to manoeuvre and the freedom to reshape a core that has dominated English football.
Reijnders heads to Saudi Arabia with medals in his suitcase and unfinished business at the very top level. City, meanwhile, are left with a simple, pressing question: who will carry their midfield into the club’s next era?
