Reijnders' Transfer: Milan's Financial Masterstroke with Al-Qadsiah

Tijjani Reijnders’ Manchester City stint is over almost as quickly as it began – and it has turned into a financial masterstroke for Milan.

The Dutch midfielder has completed a €61 million move to Al-Qadsiah, with the Saudi club handing him a five-year contract that will reportedly earn him more than €100m over its duration. The deal was announced with a slick presentation video on X, where Reijnders introduced himself with a line that will follow him for a while: “I'm a Dutch artist; I'm a Qadsiah man.”

His time in England was brief but decorated. Reijnders leaves City after just 50 appearances in all competitions, during which he collected two domestic cups and flashed enough quality to tempt Saudi money after only one season.

Milan’s clause of the year

On the surface, City have done well. They paid €55m for Reijnders a year ago and have now moved him on for €61m. But the real winners sit in Milan’s boardroom.

When Milan sold Reijnders to City last summer, they built in up to €14m in performance-related add-ons. That part is standard. The twist was not. Anticipating that a quick resale was possible, the Italian club inserted a clause that now looks inspired: if City sold Reijnders within the first year, they would owe the full €14m package, no matter what.

No Champions League triumph needed. No Ballon d'Or shortlist. No conditions at all. Just a sale inside 12 months, and the entire add-on figure became guaranteed.

City pushed to close the Al-Qadsiah deal quickly. That urgency now comes at a price. Their rush locks them into paying Milan those extra millions, taking the total fee the Serie A side receive for Reijnders to almost €70m.

The scale of the profit is staggering. Milan originally bought him from AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2023 for a reported €13m. One year on, they walk away with around €56m in profit on a player who spent only a single season in their shirt.

New chapter in Saudi Arabia

For Reijnders, the next step is clear. He links up with fellow new arrival Mateo Retegui under Brendan Rodgers at Al-Qadsiah, a club gearing up for their first appearance in the AFC Champions League Elite.

The schedule offers no gentle introduction. Reijnders could make his debut as early as Friday, when Al-Qadsiah face Al-Ittihad in the second round of the Saudi Pro League.

From Alkmaar to Milan, from Manchester to the Gulf – the “Dutch artist” has moved fast. Now the question is simple: can he paint Al-Qadsiah into Asia’s elite just as quickly?