Manchester City have completed the signing of Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan for £46.5m on a five-year deal. The 26-year-old becomes Pep Guardiola’s fourth summer addition, joining Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli, and Rayan Cherki.
Reijnders arrives in time to be registered for the Club World Cup in the U.S. and could make his debut on June 18 against Wydad AC in Philadelphia.
“I’m ecstatic to be joining one of the biggest clubs in the world,” said Reijnders. “City have the best coach, top-class players, and a culture of winning — I’m ready to contribute to that success.”
Having earned 23 caps for the Netherlands and recently being named Serie A Midfielder of the Season, Reijnders is expected to play a crucial role, especially with Kevin De Bruyne’s departure leaving a creative gap in midfield.
City Strengthen Ahead of Club World Cup
With questions surrounding how seriously teams would take the expanded Club World Cup, City’s answer has been emphatic: invest big.
Despite links to Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, the club opted for a more economical route — landing Reijnders, Cherki, and Ait-Nouri for a combined £108m, less than the €150m (£127m) price tag for Wirtz.
All new signings, including goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, are eligible for the Club World Cup squad.
Guardiola’s Midfield Rebuild Begins
Reijnders joins during a possible reshuffle at the Etihad. With Kalvin Phillips, James McAtee, Jack Grealish, and Kyle Walker all linked with exits, and injury concerns over Mateo Kovacic, Guardiola is building for the future.
Despite the £50m addition of Nico Gonzalez in February, City lacked physicality in midfield last season — a void Reijnders is tipped to fill.
A dynamic box-to-box engine, Reijnders finished last season with 10 goals and 4 assists in Serie A. Only Napoli’s Scott McTominay (16) had more goal contributions among midfielders.
The Numbers Behind Reijnders
- 205 shot-involved sequences – most in Serie A
- 49 secondary assists – 2nd highest in the league
- Ranked in top 10 for forward passes, through balls, and long carries
- Known for ball progression, creativity, and transitional play
His ability to elevate attacking players and dictate tempo makes him an ideal Guardiola-type signing.
“He runs endlessly, wants to improve, and will thrive under Pep,” said Italian football journalist Daniele Verri. “He’s evolved massively since arriving at Milan.”
