One season. That is all Tijjani Reijnders got at Manchester City. The 28-year-old Netherlands midfielder has completed a £52m move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah, walking away from a contract that ran until 2030. He arrived from AC Milan for £46.5m last summer as the midfielder who was going to add drive and goals. He leaves with two domestic cups and a reputation that never quite recovered.
The deal: £52m, and City take the exit
Al-Qadsiah have completed the signing for £52m, giving Manchester City a modest paper profit on the £46.5m they paid AC Milan twelve months earlier. City also clear a significant wage and free up a midfield slot they were always likely to rebuild this summer.
Look past the names and the number is the story. A Saudi club just paid £52m for a 28-year-old international under contract until 2030 at one of the richest clubs in world football. That is not a retirement raid. That is a Premier League rival with a different postcode.
What went wrong at Manchester City
Reijnders made 50 appearances in all competitions and scored seven goals, helping City win the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup in Pep Guardiola’s final season in charge. On paper, a season with two trophies and 50 games is respectable. In context, it was a disappointment, because City did not sign him to be a rotation option.
The issue was fit rather than ability. City’s midfield demands rigid positional discipline; Reijnders is at his best carrying the ball forward, breaking lines and arriving late in the box, exactly the freedom Milan gave him. Strip that out and you get a busy player who rarely decided matches.
A 2026 World Cup that faded out
Reijnders started all three of the Netherlands’ group-stage matches at the 2026 World Cup. Then, in the last-32 defeat by Morocco, he was an unused substitute — 90 minutes on the bench while his country went out of the tournament.
That sequence explains the transfer better than any release statement. At 28, with his international place suddenly negotiable, weekly football matters more than the badge. Al-Qadsiah are offering him the keys to a midfield and terms no European club was matching.
What it means for the Premier League
The Premier League has spent two years treating Saudi interest as a useful exit route for players it no longer wants. This deal changes the framing. Al-Qadsiah did not take a squad player off City’s hands at a discount; they paid a premium fee for a current international with four years left on his deal.
For selling clubs, that is short-term good news and long-term risk. Good news because £52m is real money for a signing that had not worked, and English clubs need clean, quick sales to stay compliant with spending rules. Risk because the next call may be about a player the manager actually wants to keep.
Where both sides go next
City are into their post-Guardiola transition and need a midfield identity as much as they need bodies. Admitting a £46.5m signing has not worked after one year is uncomfortable, but recovering £52m immediately is exactly the ruthlessness that has kept their squad churning for a decade.
Reijnders, meanwhile, gets to be the main man again. If he rediscovers the Milan version of himself in Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands door stays open. If he does not, the 2026 World Cup group stage will be remembered as the peak.
FAQ
Has the Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah transfer been confirmed?
Yes. Tijjani Reijnders has completed a £52m move from Manchester City to Al-Qadsiah.
How much did Manchester City pay for Reijnders?
City signed him from AC Milan for £46.5m last summer and have sold him a year later for £52m.
What was his Manchester City record?
He made 50 appearances in all competitions and scored seven goals, winning the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup in Pep Guardiola’s final season in charge.
How did Reijnders perform at the 2026 World Cup?
He started all three of the Netherlands’ group-stage matches but was an unused substitute in their last-32 defeat by Morocco.
Why would a 28-year-old leave the Premier League for Saudi Arabia?
Playing time and status. His role at City shrank across the season and he was left out at the decisive World Cup game, while Al-Qadsiah offer him a guaranteed starting role and terms European clubs were not matching.
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