Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders is set to leave the club after just one season, with Saudi Pro-League side Al-Qadsiah agreeing a £52m deal for the Netherlands international.
City have accepted the offer for the 28-year-old, who arrived from AC Milan last summer for £46.5m. The proposed transfer would bring an early end to Reijnders’ time in Manchester and represents a small profit for the club.
Reijnders made an encouraging start following his move from Italy but was unable to establish himself as a major influence in the City midfield. He finished Pep Guardiola’s final season at the club with seven goals from 47 appearances across all competitions.
Signs of an imminent departure emerged on Thursday when Reijnders trained separately from City’s main squad. He is now expected to join an Al-Qadsiah side managed by Brendan Rodgers, the former Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester City boss.
His departure could also signal the beginning of substantial changes to City’s midfield. There is uncertainty surrounding the future of Rodri, who was named player of the tournament at the 2026 World Cup, while City have also shown interest in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
Reijnders’ move comes shortly after his involvement with the Netherlands at this summer’s World Cup. He made three appearances during the tournament and was selected to start each of his country’s group-stage matches against Japan, Sweden and Tunisia.
However, the midfielder did not feature when the Netherlands faced Morocco in the last 32. The Dutch were eliminated after losing the tie on penalties.
Reijnders had arrived at City with considerable expectations following his spell at AC Milan, but his stay is now set to last only a year. Despite appearing regularly during the campaign, he struggled to turn his promising opening months into a consistently influential role.
The £52m agreement with Al-Qadsiah now puts him on course for the next stage of his career in Saudi Arabia, while City appear ready to reshape a key area of their squad following Guardiola’s departure.
With Reijnders heading for the exit and questions remaining over Rodri’s future, City’s midfield could look significantly different by the end of the transfer window.
