Reijnders set to leave Man City for Saudi Arabia just 14 months after £46.5m arrival

Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders is reportedly set to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah for £52m — just 14 months after arriving at the Etihad Stadium from AC Milan for £46.5m last summer.

The Netherlands international, 28, managed only 19 Premier League starts in his debut season and was absent from both the Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal and the FA Cup final triumph over Chelsea. BBC Sport reports the move is now close to being finalised.

Al-Qadsiah are managed by Brendan Rodgers, the former Liverpool, Leicester City and Celtic head coach who took charge of the Saudi side last December. Rodgers inherited a team sitting fifth in the table and guided them to a fourth-place finish, before opening this season with a 3-1 win at Al-Shabab.

Reijnders had made a promising start to life in Manchester, scoring and assisting in City’s 4-0 opening-day hammering of Wolves last August, but he never truly established himself under Pep Guardiola. He started all three pre-season friendlies under new head coach Enzo Maresca this summer, but missed the club’s open training session ahead of the Community Shield clash with Arsenal — a further signal that his departure is imminent.

The reported departure is the latest in a significant reshaping of City’s midfield. Elliot Anderson has arrived from Nottingham Forest for a reported £116m, while Rodri is expected to join Barcelona. The club are also said to be interested in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, who worked under Maresca at Stamford Bridge. Mateo Kovacic, Nico Gonzalez, and versatile left-back Nico O’Reilly provide further options in the centre of the park.

At Al-Qadsiah, Reijnders would join a squad that already includes Italy striker Mateo Retegui and Mexico forward Julian Quinones, one of the names to watch at the 2026 World Cup. City open their Premier League season at home to Bournemouth on Sunday, 23 August.