Man City Agree Deal To Sign AC Milan’s Reijnders

Manchester City have agreed a 55m euros (£46.3m) deal with AC Milan for Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders.

The 26-year-old will sign a five-year contract at Etihad Stadium after agreeing personal terms with City.

The deal, which is subject to a medical, includes additional payments if certain clauses are met.

City hope to complete a deal for Reijnders in time for the Club World Cup, which kicks off on 14 June.

His arrival will strengthen an area of the pitch that has been weakened by injury to Mateo Kovacic, who has been ruled out of the 32-team tournament in the United States after undergoing Achilles surgery.

Midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is also expected not to be involved in the tournament, with a move to Serie A champions Napoli looking increasingly likely.

Who is Reijnders?
Capped 22 times for the Netherlands, Reijnders is the type of balanced midfielder that City lacked last season.

The Dutchman scored 15 goals in 54 matches across all competitions for Milan last term, helping him to be named Serie A’s midfielder of the season.

His performances came against the backdrop of Milan’s dismal campaign as the Rossoneri finished eighth and missed out on European qualification.

It was the best goalscoring season of Reijnders’ career, with the 26-year-old hitting double digits for the first time.

But the former AZ Alkmaar midfielder, who made his senior debut for PEC Zwolle in 2018, is far more than just goals.

Capable of playing deep or high in midfield, Reijnders’ appeal to a coach like Pep Guardiola is clear.

The midfielder is capable of taking the ball in tight areas and is adept at beating the press either through his passing or ball-carrying.

With Rodri returning from injury towards the end of last season, Reijnders could either play alongside the Spaniard or in a more advanced role.

But the main benefit he will bring is giving Guardiola greater options in midfield.

Bbc.com