Reijnders leaves Manchester City for Saudi side Al Qadsiah in $71 million deal

One year. That's how long Tijjani Reijnders' Manchester City adventure lasted. The Dutchman arrived last summer billed as a major reinforcement for the midfield, and he leaves as just another signing who never found his place at the Etihad. The club confirmed on Wednesday his transfer to Saudi side Al Qadsiah for 61 million euros (about $71.2 million).

The fee leaves City with a tidy profit on the deal: they paid AC Milan 55 million euros for Reijnders barely twelve months ago, so the sale nets them a 6 million euro gain. Not a bad piece of business for a player who never quite won people over, though the numbers on the field tell a different story. With Pep Guardiola in charge, the 28-year-old midfielder never nailed down a regular starting spot, and when Enzo Maresca took over the project, he didn't find a clear role for him in midfield either.

In total, Reijnders made 50 appearances in the sky blue shirt, chipping in seven goals and eight assists. Modest numbers for a player who had been a key piece at Milan in Italy. The emergence of other names in midfield, along with the tactical shifts between Guardiola and Maresca, ultimately left him out of the plans, and Saudi Arabia once again stepped in as a destination to salvage the value of a player who never quite fit in England.

A summer of heavy turnover at City

Reijnders' departure is not an isolated case. The club has now banked 200 million euros in sales this transfer window. Before this deal, City had sold goalkeeper James Trafford to Leeds for 46 million euros, Rodri Hernandez to Barcelona for 70 million euros, Manuel Akanji to Inter Milan for 15 million euros and Nathan Ake to Fenerbahce for 8 million euros. Add to that list the departures of high earners like John Stones and Bernardo Silva, part of a clear push to trim both the squad and the wage bill.

On the other side of the ledger, City has spent 180 million euros on new signings, with the arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest as the most expensive deal, closed for 135 million euros. All in all, it has been a transfer window marked by heavy traffic both in and out, confirming that Guardiola's side keeps reshaping its roster despite the strong results of recent seasons.

For Reijnders, meanwhile, a completely different chapter now begins far from the Premier League, in a Saudi league that continues to lure European players with financially attractive contracts, even if it means stepping away from the top competitive level he was chasing when he signed for City.