Tijjani Reijnders Completes Move to Al-Qadsiah After Manchester City Stint

Tijjani Reijnders’ brief Manchester City chapter is over. The Netherlands midfielder has completed a £52m move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah, drawing a line under a one-season stay in Manchester that never quite caught fire.

The 28-year-old arrived at City last summer from AC Milan for £46.5m, a signing that looked built for the long term. Instead, 12 months on, he joins the exodus from a reshaped City midfield and heads into a very different footballing landscape under Brendan Rodgers in Saudi Arabia.

A year of medals, not momentum

On paper, Reijnders’ numbers are solid. Fifty appearances in all competitions. Seven goals. Two domestic trophies – the FA Cup and Carabao Cup – secured in Pep Guardiola’s final season in charge.

Yet he never truly imposed himself as the heartbeat of City’s midfield. He was a reliable part of the rotation rather than an untouchable name on the teamsheet, a contributor to success rather than its defining figure.

His summer had promised more. Reijnders started all three of the Netherlands’ group games at the 2026 World Cup, entrusted with a central role on the biggest stage. Then the momentum stalled. In the last-32 tie against Morocco, he watched from the bench as an unused substitute in a defeat that cut short Dutch ambitions.

Back at City, the shift was just as stark. New manager Enzo Maresca left him out of the squad entirely for Sunday’s 3-0 Community Shield loss to Arsenal. For a player signed at a premium and fresh from a World Cup, that omission spoke loudly. The door was edging shut.

A graceful goodbye

Reijnders chose his words carefully as he said farewell.

"I have been incredibly privileged to play for Manchester City, and I have relished every minute of my time here," he said, paying tribute not just to the silverware, but to the environment he stepped into.

"From the very moment I arrived, everyone at the club - players, coaches and staff - made me feel so welcome and a part of the Manchester City family.

"I would also like to say a special thank you to the City fans who were so warm and supportive both to me and my family."

No bitterness. No hint of frustration. Just a clean break after a season that never quite became what either side imagined.

Rodgers’ new project, City’s changing core

At Al-Qadsiah, Reijnders lands in the middle of an ambitious project. The club, led by former Liverpool and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, has moved aggressively to add European experience and technical quality. A five-year contract signals how central they expect him to be.

For City, his departure is part of a far bigger midfield reset.

Rodri has already gone, completing a £65m move to Barcelona. Bernardo Silva followed him out of the door at the end of his contract, signing for Real Madrid on a free. Now Reijnders joins that list, another high-profile name leaving a department that once looked immovable.

Three influential midfielders out in one summer. A new manager on the touchline. A Community Shield defeat to underline the scale of the rebuild.

Reijnders moves on with medals in his suitcase and a new league to conquer. City, stripped of yet another familiar face in the middle of the pitch, must decide quickly what their next midfield is going to look like – and who will define it.