Pitchside post

Tijjani Reijnders on the verge of potential move?

It is rumoured that this summer Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders could be set for a move away from the blues only a year after joining them.

He had a difficult first year for Manchester City, after a very successful debut vs Wolves back in August where he registered a goal and an assist, the dynamic dutchman has failed to make a significant impact for Manchester cities midfield.

He has found himself mainly being used off the bench or in cup games, and after his big money move from Seria A giants AC Milan for £46 million this is not what he would have imagined the outcome to be.

He was also playing the number 6 role while Rodri was sidelined due to an ACL injury, while he had the ability to play there this was not his natural role that was, the number 8.

Fans online quickly started to criticise him for his lack of defending ability in transition leaving Bernardo Silva exposed. Although he still made up for this in his fantastic abilities going forward. However, in the more defensive role he was being played in under Pep he couldn’t do this as frequently as he had hoped.

Then things went from bad to worse for Reijnders as the Dutch international found himself on the bench a lot and sometimes not even getting on the pitch. And for a player of his quality and stature this was a problem.

And its now being reported the 27-year-old could already be looking at a move away from the citizens. It’s rumoured a move within the premier league is the most likely outcome however there is interest from multiple top European sides. Some of the names that have been rumoured are the likes of the Spanish giants Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. Also, a return to his old club AC Milan has been spoken about in the headlines however its believed this deal could be less likely due to the expensive price tag.

And with rumours Reijnders is no longer in Man Cities long term central plans, this could mean he ends up getting less game time and opportunities than he’s already getting so he may look to move away from the club.

Real Madrid could be a good outcome for both player and club as Madrid have stated they need a new midfielder and if Reijnders is available they could reignite their interest and put a bid in for his signature, and the type of midfielder they are reportedly looking for is the exact role Reijnders can offer, a conductor of play in the engine room, a Kroos or Modric regen. And the Galactico’s could view Reijnders as the perfect fit. However as it stands as of writing, Real Madrid are admirers of him and monitoring his situation rather than an all-out aggressive pursuit of the Netherlands star.

So in conclusion, if Reijnders finds himself more out of favour at Manchester City we could very much see an exciting transfer saga over the summer window.