The news no one wanted, but expected, has arrived this morning, as AC Milan announced the departure of Tijjani Reijnders.
Once Manchester City were involved, many feared that it would only be a matter of time before the midfielder departed. This is despite messages of reassurance to the fans from members of the management, something that is further damaging an already vulnerable group.
Today, his exit has been confirmed by the club on their website, with the statement reading as follows.
“AC Milan announces that it has permanently transferred the registration rights of footballer Tijjani Reijnders to Manchester City FC.
“The Club thanks Tijjani for his commitment and professionalism and wishes him every success in his personal and professional life.”
The Rebuild
For many, Reijnders was the player for Milan to rebuild around, and this will no longer be the case. However, there are certainly parallels to be drawn between his exit and that of Sandro Tonali a few years ago.
Better needs to be done with the funds, of course. Nevertheless, Tonali brought Reijnders, and now, there can be some hope – and maybe even expectation – that this move brings the next in line.
With that said, there is a very big hole to fill in the midfield without the Dutchman, both in a literal and technical sense, the Rossoneri must act quickly, indeed.