Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United both tried to sign Tijjani Reijnders this summer, but Manchester City’s financial demands ultimately priced the Premier League clubs out of a deal.
Reijnders instead completed a €61million transfer to Al Qadsiah last week, just one year after Manchester City had signed the Netherlands international for €54.9m.
Now his father, Martin Reijnders, has revealed what happened behind the scenes and why several European clubs were unable to compete for his signature.
Manchester City did not want Reijnders to leave
Reijnders’ departure came as something of a surprise because Manchester City were not actively looking to sell him.
According to his father, both City’s technical director and new manager Enzo Maresca made their position clear.
“City didn’t want to let him go. Both the technical director and the new manager made that clear,” Martin Reijnders told Algemeen Dagblad.
“They said: if you want a transfer, it will only happen for a fee we are happy with. Not a penny less.”
That figure eventually stood at around €61m, effectively limiting the midfielder's options.
Nottingham Forest and Newcastle tried to sign Reijnders
Reijnders was not short of European interest.
His father confirmed that Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United were among the clubs attempting to secure a deal with Manchester City.
Neither could reach an agreement.
“Atlético Madrid was keen but couldn’t make the finances work,” he explained.
“Juventus and Galatasaray only wanted a loan deal. Nottingham Forest couldn’t reach an agreement with City, and neither could Newcastle United.”
Al Qadsiah were ultimately prepared to meet City's valuation and secured the 27-year-old.
Reijnders unhappy with new Manchester City role
Money was not the only reason behind the decision to leave the Etihad Stadium.
According to his father, Reijnders was facing the prospect of being used as a No.10 under Maresca, rather than in his preferred midfield position.
There were also concerns over how regularly he would play.
The choice therefore became staying at Manchester City in a role he was unhappy with or becoming an important first-team player at Al Qadsiah.
Huge Al Qadsiah contract influenced decision
The financial package offered in Saudi Arabia was impossible to ignore.
Reports suggest Reijnders could earn approximately €100m over the duration of his Al Qadsiah contract.
“It’s a massive amount of money; truly incredible,” his father admitted.
“Of course, that plays a role; there’s no need to be hypocritical about it.”
However, he insisted the sporting situation was also important, with Reijnders wanting regular football in a position that better suits his qualities.
Key Points
- Manchester City demanded around €61m before allowing Reijnders to leave.
- Nottingham Forest and Newcastle both tried but could not reach an agreement with City.
- Atlético Madrid were also priced out, while Juventus and Galatasaray wanted loans.
- Reijnders was reportedly unhappy about potentially playing as a No.10 under Enzo Maresca.
- His Al Qadsiah contract could reportedly be worth around €100m in wages.
What’s Next?
Reijnders has now started a very different chapter of his career in Saudi Arabia, while the revelations show that a Premier League move was genuinely considered.
For Nottingham Forest and Newcastle, however, Manchester City's €61m valuation proved too high.
Al Qadsiah were prepared to meet the asking price and offer Reijnders an enormous contract — leaving his English suitors unable to compete with the complete financial package.
Would Nottingham Forest or Newcastle have been right to spend €61m on Tijjani Reijnders?
0 Comments
First read message
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *