Tijjani Reijnders seems to have plenty of admirers at Manchester City.
One of them is Hugo Viana, who has shortlisted Reijnders as City believe the Dutchman would be an excellent option to bolster their side in the central midfield department.
Manchester City believe Reijnders could replace Ilkay Gundogan in the long haul and are willing to pay as much as £56 million to secure his services.
While Gundogan’s return to the Etihad Stadium has not lived up to expectations, he remains one of their finest players to date.
It’s safe to say that Tijjani Reijnders will have big shoes to fill if the Sky Blues have well and truly identified him as the heir to the six-time Premier League winner.
Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Man City target Tijjani Reijnders’ father helped him work on his finishing
However, Reijnders has every reason to back himself to succeed if he does sign for Manchester City as he is already one of the best midfielders in the world.
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The AC Milan maestro’s sensational technique, tall frame, athleticism and ability to carry the ball over long distances are facets of his game that make him the complete number eight.
Furthermore, when it comes to potentially replacing Manchester City legend Ilkay Gundogan, broadcaster Adam Summerton revealed that Reijnders’ father, who also played for the Netherlands as well as the player’s brother have helped him work on his finishing.
Milan’s best player this season, would be a big loss for the Rossoneri & Serie A
Has worked really hard on being more decisive in the final third, even had his Dad (an ex pro) & his brother help him analyse his finishing – it’s really paid off https://t.co/g7G0Oro6zI
— Adam Summerton (@adamsummerton) May 13, 2025
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One of Gundogan’s standout traits over the years have been his composure in front of goal and his knack of being in the right place and at the right time to put the ball in the back of the net.
With Reijnders already bagging 15 goals in Serie A this season, what would excite Pep Guardiola is the fact that in the 26-year-old, he could be set to work with another goalscoring midfielder.
When AC Milan beat Real Madrid 3-1 in November, the former AZ Alkmaar ace’s impressive finishing was on display as he managed to slot the ball past Thibaut Courtois with his weaker left foot in clinical fashion.
Considering too much of City’s goalscoring burden remains on Erling Haaland, Reijnders could make the Norwegian’s job easier by similarly getting into dangerous areas and chipping with crucial goals like Gundogan.
How Tijjani Reijnders compares to Ilkay Gundogan in terms of stats
As Jack Grealish said, Gundogan is a “special player” and it will be a tall task for any player to replace him.
However, City have successfully moved on from their former greats, with how Rodri succeeded Fernandinho being the prime example in midfield.
Up front, the way Haaland has led the line after taking Sergio Aguero’s vacant spot is also worth lauding.
The stats suggest that in Reijnders, Manchester City have spotted the ideal candidate to become the next Gundogan.
STATS PER 90 OVER PAST 365 DAYS ILKAY GUNDOGAN TIJJANI REIJNDERS
PROGRESSIVE PASSES 6.05 6.26
PASS COMPLETION 89.9% 88%
PROGRESSIVE CARRIES 2.6 3.18
NPG + XAG 0.28 0.31
SHOT-CREATING ACTIONS 3.23 3.15
Reijnders has outperformed Gundogan over the past year when it comes to metrics like his progressive passes (6.26), progressive carries (3.18) and combined non-penalty and expected assisted goals (0.31) per game.
The only metric where the 34-year-old has an edge over the former is in terms of his shot-creating actions (3.23) but all in all, it seems like Manchester City’s succession planning is on the money.