Manchester City Submit Initial Bid for Tijjani Reijnders
How Has This Transfer Story Progressed?
City have been interested in Reijnders for a few months but had refrained from making a bid thus far out of respect for the Dutchman’s wishes to fully focus on what was an intense end to the Serie A season. Milan finished the season poorly, losing the Coppa Italia final to Bologna and finishing eighth in the league, missing out on European qualification entirely.
Romano reports that Milan’s number 14 is City’s “main target” in the number eight position, though their initial €60 million bid, which includes add-ons, is unlikely to satisfy the Rossoneri’s requirements. The Cityzens kick off their Club World Cup campaign on June 18, giving them just under three weeks to try and finalise a deal for the midfielder in time for him to play against Wydad Casablanca.
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Whilst Romano has offered no information about personal terms, Sacha Tavolieri reported that Reijnders is keen to join City and that broad discussions over contracts had already taken place. It seems unlikely that new Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri will be able to convince the midfielder to stay in Italy, meaning he will have to be on the lookout for a replacement.
Where May Reijnders Fit in at Manchester City?
Pep Guardiola’s men have undoubtedly had problems in midfield this season, and signing Reijnders could be the first step towards solving these issues.
The Dutchman offers excellent energy and ball-carrying ability in midfield. In fact, only four players carried the ball further than him in Serie A this season. This should help to strengthen City’s ageing midfield, which has often been exposed in transition this campaign, and it also aligns with Guardiola’s recent strategy of signing good dribblers, like Savinho and Jeremy Doku.
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There have been no major announcements about outgoings at City so far, but Ilkay Gundogan is entering the last year of his contract whilst Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic are both over 30 years of age, meaning that there will certainly be space for Reijnders to thrive in the long run.
