Tijjani Reijnders Faces Key Decision: Stay at Manchester City or Move to Al-Qadsiah
Tijjani Reijnders stands at a crossroads – and the offers on the table could hardly be more different.
Manchester City and Al-Qadsiah are in advanced negotiations over the Dutch midfielder, with Fabrizio Romano reporting on Thursday that talks between the clubs are close to producing a €60 million agreement. The money looks right. The paperwork is moving. But one key element is still missing: Reijnders’ yes.
The 28-year-old has not yet been convinced by the move to Saudi Arabia, even as the project around him accelerates. Al-Qadsiah want him as a headline signing. City, for their part, are prepared to cash in at a profit just a year after bringing him in. The decision now rests with the player.
There is also a Premier League twist. Nottingham Forest are tracking the situation closely and remain keen on the midfielder. They are not at the same stage of talks as Al-Qadsiah, but they are in the wings, watching, waiting for any sign that the door might open for them.
Reijnders is under contract at Manchester City until mid-2030, a long-term commitment that suddenly feels far less secure. The Netherlands international, capped 35 times, has to weigh up three paths: fight for his place at the Etihad, seek a fresh start in the Premier League with Forest, or take the lucrative leap to the Saudi Pro League.
His journey to this point has been rapid. City signed him from AC Milan last summer for €55 million after he had established himself as one of the Italian club’s undisputed stars. He arrived in Manchester with momentum and confidence, started brightly, and looked ready to carve out a major role in Pep Guardiola’s midfield.
Then the minutes began to slip away.
Over the course of last season, Reijnders still managed 2,810 minutes in all competitions for City, a respectable total in a stacked squad. He contributed seven goals, five of them in the Premier League, and added eight assists. The numbers underline his quality. Yet as the season wore on, he drifted more often toward the bench, squeezed by competition and tactical tweaks.
Now, with Saudi clubs again circling Europe’s elite players, Reijnders could follow a path already taken by another Dutch international. Crysencio Summerville moved to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League after a strong World Cup, trading European visibility for a new stage and a different kind of spotlight.
Reijnders’ choice will say a lot about where he sees his prime years being spent – in the relentless grind of the Premier League and Champions League, or as a marquee figure in a rapidly growing league with serious financial muscle.
