Reijnders set to leave Manchester City for Saudi Pro League in £52m move

Manchester City are set to lose midfielder Tijjani Reijnders after just a single season at the club. A £52m move has reportedly been agreed with Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah for the Dutch international, marking the latest example of a trend that has become increasingly common across European football in recent years.

Reijnders joined City following successful spells at AZ Alkmaar and AC Milan, and had taken on a meaningful role in Pep Guardiola's midfield rotation during his first season at the club. Praised for his technical ability, distribution, and reading of space, the news of his departure after such a short spell caught many City supporters off guard.

The Saudi Pro League's transfer strategy over the past few seasons has fundamentally reshaped its position in the global football economy. What began with Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr in 2022 has evolved to include players in their prime, still very much capable of competing in Europe's top leagues.

Clubs like Al-Qadsiah represent the latest phase of that strategy. Backed by Saudi state investment, these clubs can offer transfer budgets that even mid-to-top-tier European clubs struggle to match. The financial terms of Reijnders' reported deal are said to represent a substantial multiple of his current salary at City.

Moves like this tend to provoke mixed reactions across European football. On one hand, selling clubs benefit financially from moving on players still relatively young and developing — the £52m City stand to receive gives the club added flexibility to invest elsewhere. On the other hand, supporters and coaching staff alike often express discomfort at seeing players depart the league before they've had the chance to show their full potential.

For Guardiola, the departure creates a fresh gap in his midfield rotation. Given City's ongoing turnover and evolving needs in that area of the pitch over recent seasons, the club is expected to reinvest the transfer proceeds into further midfield reinforcement.

For Reijnders, the move represents one of the biggest financial milestones of his career, though it also raises some sporting question marks. The Saudi Pro League's overall level of competition is still generally regarded as significantly below the Premier League's, which could complicate conversations around his international future, particularly his place in the Netherlands national team.

The transfer also illustrates that Saudi Arabia's football investment strategy is no longer limited to stars nearing the twilight of their careers — it now extends to players in the middle of their careers who remain in demand at Europe's top clubs. That shift in strategy could meaningfully shape the transfer market going forward.

Ultimately, if Reijnders' move to Al-Qadsiah is finalised, it will stand as one of the summer transfer window's most notable developments, both for City's midfield planning and for the Saudi Pro League's growing pull on European football.