Tijjani Reijnders is a new Manchester City player.
Man City confirmed the signing of Reijnders from AC Milan on Wednesday, with the Dutch star joining the Premier League giants as part of a £48m deal.
The 26-year-old was Pep Guardiola’s top target for the number eight role in his team, as the legendary coach planned to revamp his midfield heading into the summer transfer window, with Man City also signing Rayan Cherki, in addition to the Netherlands international.
Guardiola got to meet his new signings over the past week as the Man City boss prepares his team for the FIFA Club World Cup, and behind-the-scenes footage has revealed what the Spanish coach said to Reijnders during their first encounter.
Pep Guardiola will take care of Tijjani Reijnders at Man City
Reijnders has admitted that Guardiola was one of the reasons he decided to join Man City, as the Dutch star has watched and been a fan of the legendary coach for years.
The 26-year-old got to meet his new boss over the last week, and upon meeting for the first time, Guardiola told his new star that the club will look after him and that everything at Man City is at the highest level.
“He can run or not? Thanks for everything,” Guardiola said on the latest episode of Inside City. “Hopefully, you can have a good time here, and we’ll try to take good care of you. The league is top, you will see! And the club is top, the facilities, and everything.”
Reijnders has been included in Man City’s squad for the FIFA Club World Cup, and the Manchester club’s match with Wydad AC next Wednesday may be the first time fans of the Premier League club get to see their new midfielder in action.
The Dutch star is perfect for Man City and is exactly what Guardiola needs as his midfield showed weakness throughout the 2024/25 campaign without Rodri.
How Pep Guardiola plans to use Tijjani Reijnders at Man City
Reijnders has admitted that he is excited to play with Rodri at Man City, and the Dutch star is expected to line up alongside the Spaniard next season as part of Guardiola’s double pivot.
The duo will complement each other perfectly as Rodri will do all the hard work by breaking up play and controlling the tempo of the game, which should allow the Dutch star to roam forward and do what he does best, creating havoc in the opposition box.
| Player (season) | Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
| Tijjani Reijnders (24/25) | 54 | 15 | 5 | 4591 |
| Rodri (23/24) | 50 | 9 | 15 | 4327 |
Reijnders is a box-to-box midfielder, and Guardiola will look to take advantage of his physicality, as that is something Man City missed in their midfield last season.
The signing of the 26-year-old could go down as one of the best in the Premier League throughout the 2025/26 campaign, as the former AC Milan star looks ready to take his game to new heights.
