Tijjani Reijnders has claimed there are still some details to be defined before his Manchester City move is completed, but he is already thinking about playing under Pep Guardiola.
Virtually every major source reported on Wednesday that an agreement had been found between Milan and Manchester City over Reijnders. There was some alarm among the fan base, however, when The Athletic claimed that the ‘guaranteed’ fee will only be €55m, with bonuses on top.
Some additional clarification has arrived suggesting that the Rossoneri can expect to get a minimum of €65m from the operation, with €10m of the bonuses being easy to achieve. However, many still believe that figure falls short of the mark for the best midfielder in Serie A.
Reijnders hints City move is done
Reijnders spoke to voetbalzone.nl (via Calciomercato.com) and he answered some questions about his future, seemingly confirming that he will soon head to join City.
Is it true that you have already accepted Manchester City?
“There are still some details to be defined. It’s a question of waiting. I can’t say more. I’m still a Milan player and I have to respect that. For me it’s also a question of waiting to see what the clubs will do.”
tijjani reijnders manchester city
Image: 365scores
What are your best qualities?
“I think I’m a modern midfielder. I’m a box-to-box player and that’s also necessary in modern football. And I’m always fit, which is an advantage. Fortunately, I’ve always remained like this and I hope to keep it as long as possible”.
Have you watched Kevin De Bruyne a lot since you were young?
“I learned a lot from how he looks at the pitch before he receives the ball. My father pointed that out to me and I started paying attention to him a lot from then on.
“When you look forward, you give yourself a lot more time. Now I apply that in every game. De Bruyne is a great player. When you watch Manchester City, I think the first thing you look at is De Bruyne.”
Are you afraid that ‘the freedom’ in your game will be lost under Guardiola?
“We’ll have to see if that happens. There’s always room for improvement, in every aspect. Especially as a midfielder. There are so many things you can grow in. I could become a more complete midfielder there, if the deal goes through.
“Once I’m on the pitch and sitting here in my orange tracksuit, I’ll immediately join the Dutch national team. My father is my agent and he’s deliberately keeping me a bit hidden. So far it’s going well.”
Is he busy?
“I haven’t spoken to him much today. Maybe he’ll tell me how and what after training.”