Ex Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has explained his decision to leave the Etihad Stadium for Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah this summer, citing the long-term financial security the move provides for his family.
Enzo Fernandez was Manchester City's biggest and most expensive summer acquisition.
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Reijnders spent 12 months at Manchester City after joining from AC Milan for a reported fee of £46 million in the summer of 2025.
The 28-year-old Netherlands international made an impressive start to life in the Premier League, scoring and assisting on the opening day of the 2025/26 season in a rampant 4-0 win at Wolves in an all-time great English top-flight debut performance.
He contributed to City's Carabao Cup and FA Cup victories during his single season at the club, but his prominence in the side faded as the campaign progressed, with Rayan Cherki's emergence from November 2025 onwards shifting the balance of Pep Guardiola's midfield options.
City confirmed Reijnders' departure to Al Qadsiah in the recent transfer window for a fee of £52 million, representing a profit on the £46 million City had paid Milan 12 months earlier.
The sale formed part of the broader midfield rebuild that Hugo Viana has overseen since taking over as director of football, with the arrivals of Ayyoub Bouaddi, Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez reshaping the options available to Maresca in the middle of the park.
Reijnders signed a five-year deal with Al Qadsiah, making him one of several high-profile midfielders to have moved to the Saudi Pro League in recent transfer windows.
Manchester City have confirmed the departure of Tijjani Reijnders to Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah after just 12 months at the Etihad Stadium.cityxtra.co.ukTijjani Reijnders Leaves Man City to Join Saudi Pro League Side Al Qadsiah
Manchester City have confirmed the departure of Tijjani Reijnders to Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah after just 12 months at the Etihad Stadium.
Reijnders on leaving Man City for Saudi Pro League: Why Wouldn't I Do It?
His decision to accept the move over staying in European football was driven primarily by the financial terms on offer rather than any football-specific reasoning about his career trajectory.
"Once my career is over, I don't want to have to work anymore," the midfielder said. as quoted by Mail Sport. "Of course, I probably wouldn't have needed to after my contract at Manchester City either, but this move allows me to secure the future of the next generations of my family.
"I'm not going to lie. By signing this contract, I can make sure even my grandchildren are financially secure, so why wouldn't I do it?"
Viana said of Reijnders upon his departure that the Dutch midfielder "impressed everyone with his talent, application, hard work and total dedication" and was "the perfect professional" during his time at the club - a reflection of how his exit was framed as a business decision rather than any falling-out between player and club.
City's midfield has undergone more change than any other area of the squad since Maresca took charge. Rodri's move to Barcelona and Bernardo Silva's departure to Real Madrid removed two of the most influential players of the Guardiola era in a single window, and Reijnders' sale to Saudi Arabia means the department has been rebuilt almost entirely within the space of 12 months.
Anderson and Fernandez have assumed the primary roles alongside Bouaddi, Mateo Kovacic and Nico O'Reilly in an eye-watering midfield roster handed to Maresca to work with in his first season as Manchester City manager.
For Maresca's side, the focus shifts back to the Premier League after the international break as October brings a visit to Liverpool and a Paris Saint-Germain UEFA Champions League fixture - the kind of tests that will determine whether the new-look midfield group can sustain City's position at the top of the table.