Manchester City announced on Wednesday the acquisition of Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan for £46.3 million ($62.4 million), securing his registration in time for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.
Reijnders, 26, has signed a five-year contract, becoming City’s fourth major signing this week amid a significant squad overhaul following a rare underwhelming season by the club’s lofty standards.
Alongside Reijnders, City have also completed deals for Lyon midfielder Rayan Cherki, Chelsea goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, and Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri over recent days. These transfers bring the club’s spending this summer to around £108 million, adding to a heavy investment made during the January window.
The timing of the signings allows the new arrivals to be registered for the Club World Cup group stages, set to take place in the United States starting June 14.
Reijnders joined AC Milan from AZ Alkmaar in 2023 and scored 15 goals during a challenging 2024/25 campaign for the Italian giants, who finished eighth in Serie A. He arrives to reinforce Pep Guardiola’s midfield options following the departure of club legend Kevin De Bruyne.
Expressing his excitement, Reijnders said, “I am ecstatic to be signing for Manchester City. City are one of the biggest teams in the world, with the best coach, world-class players, and outstanding facilities. Under Pep Guardiola, City have won so many titles and I want to help keep that going with a lot more success in the coming years.”
After clinching four consecutive Premier League titles, City finished a distant third last season and were eliminated early from the Champions League, prompting a reassessment of their squad.
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak acknowledged the club “probably should have been more aggressive” in the transfer market before last season’s campaign.
The flurry of activity this month continues the rebuilding process initiated with the January signings of Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Vitor Reis.
City’s director of football Hugo Viana welcomed Reijnders, stating, “We are very happy that Tijjani has joined us and we’re excited for him to join Pep’s squad. He arrives here with extensive top-level experience in Europe, both at club level as well as on the international stage with the Netherlands. Tijjani adds extra energy, composure, and creativity to our midfield, and working with Pep and our coaches will only see him go from strength to strength.”
Manchester City will enter the expanded 32-team Club World Cup as defending champions after winning the tournament in Saudi Arabia two years ago. Their campaign begins against Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia on June 18.
The summer transfer window was opened early to allow clubs to register players ahead of the US-based competition but closed on Tuesday. It is set to reopen on June 16.
