Tijjani Reijnders admits ‘the choice was easy to make’ for him to leave Milan when Manchester City called. ‘I want to reach goals in my career and I can reach those here quickly.’
The midfielder had only recently signed a new contract holding him to the Rossoneri until 2030, but it became evident the club would not hold him back after failing to qualify for Europe.
He completed the transfer for a reported €55m plus another €20m in various add-ons and bonuses.
“They contacted my father at the end of the season and they were looking for a Number 8, for me it was not a big doubt if I wanted to go to Manchester City, it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world right now,” Reijnders told Sky Sports UK.
“The choice was easy to make. Of course, Milan will always be in my heart, I had two really good seasons there and met very nice people, but you also have to look at the sporting aspect.
“I want to reach some goals in my career and I think that I can reach those here quickly.”
He is already in the United States of America to begin training with Pep Guardiola, as Manchester City will participate in the Club World Cup.
“That is also a big thing of course, he is the best coach in the world, I am eager to learn new things and a new style of playing. I’m very much looking forward to it.”
The Dutchman scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 54 competitive appearances for Milan this season, so what can Manchester City players expect from him?
“I am a box-to-box player who likes to carry the ball, to be also in the build-up and eventually connect to the attacking part, finding assists and goals. That is what I also want to bring to City.”
Milan did make a significant profit on Reijnders, having signed him from AZ Alkmaar in 2023 for €20.5m plus a 10 per cent cut of the future transfer fee.
That deal was why they accepted only a €55m set fee and split the rest as add-ons, because they did not apply to that agreement.
