Manchester City have agreed to sell Tijjani Reijnders to Al Qadsiah for a reported £52m, according to David Ornstein and ESPN, with the deal struck on August 13, 2026. The figure represents a profit on the £46.5m City paid AC Milan to sign the Dutch midfielder just 14 months ago.
Reijnders trained away from City’s main group on August 14, a strong signal that his departure is close. The 28-year-old will move to the Saudi Pro League side managed by Brendan Rodgers, ending a stint at the Etihad that never quite delivered on its early promise.
The deal itself
City and Al Qadsiah reached an agreement in principle on August 13, per Ornstein. Fabrizio Romano puts the fee at €61m, which aligns closely with the £52m figure reported by ESPN. Reijnders had signed a contract at City running until 2030, so the club are recouping more than they spent with five years still remaining on his deal.
Nottingham Forest had also been credited with interest in the midfielder, but Al Qadsiah moved decisively to secure his signature. Personal terms between the player and the Saudi club were still being finalized as of August 13.
Why the move happened
Reijnders was never a guaranteed starter under Pep Guardiola. He made 47 appearances in his debut City season but started only half of the club’s Premier League games, with Rodri, Bernardo Silva and summer signing Rayan Cherki regularly preferred in central midfield. The arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest in a club-record £116m deal effectively closed the door on regular minutes.
That stands in sharp contrast to his final season in Milan, where he started 63 of 64 games, scored 15 goals across all competitions and was voted Serie A‘s midfielder of the year. City were aware of his quality when they signed him, but the competition for places in Guardiola’s squad proved too stiff for consistent involvement.
Player profile
Born July 29, 1998, in Zwolle, Reijnders came through the AZ Alkmaar academy before making his name in Italy. At AC Milan he won the Supercoppa Italiana and established himself as one of Europe’s more complete box-to-box midfielders, combining an appetite for goalscoring with the positional discipline Serie A demands.
Internationally, he holds 35 caps for the Netherlands and has scored 7 goals at that level. He featured three times at the 2026 World Cup, starting group-stage games against Japan, Sweden and Tunisia, though he was absent for the last-32 defeat to Morocco on penalties.
What it means for Al Qadsiah
Al Qadsiah finished fourth in the Saudi Pro League last season and are building toward a significant period in their history. The club are set to move into the newly constructed Aramco Stadium, which is scheduled to host matches at the 2027 Asian Cup, and Rodgers has been in the dugout since December 2025.
Bringing in a player who was Serie A midfielder of the year as recently as 2025 reflects real ambition. For Rodgers, a midfielder who thrives on high-volume starts and responsibility within a system should suit the structured, possession-based approach the former Liverpool and Leicester manager favors.
FAQ
How much are Manchester City selling Tijjani Reijnders for?
Manchester City have agreed a fee of £52m with Al Qadsiah, according to ESPN. Fabrizio Romano reports the figure as €61m.
How long did Reijnders spend at Manchester City?
Reijnders joined City from AC Milan in June 2025 for £46.5m and made 47 appearances in his single season at the club before agreeing to join Al Qadsiah in August 2026.
Who manages Al Qadsiah?
Al Qadsiah are managed by Brendan Rodgers, the former Liverpool, Celtic and Leicester City head coach, who took charge of the Saudi Pro League club in December 2025.