Manchester City have put the finishing touches on a blockbuster few days of transfers after it was announced that Tijani Reijnders has completed a £46.5m move to the Etihad from AC Milan.
The 26-year-old will look to breathe new life into an ageing City midfield, after the best season of his career so far where he scored 15 goals in all competitions to push on from some impressive displays in the Netherlands’ run to the Euro 2024 semi-finals.
Reijnders joins fellow new faces Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri, in addition to new third-choice goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, who will all be looking to make an instant impact for Pep Guardiola’s side during the Club World Cup later this month.
We decided to have a look at who will benefit the most and the least from Reijnders’ arrival in Manchester.
Three winners from Reijnders’ transfer to Manchester City
Rayan Cherki: The first player who will likely benefit from Reijnders’ move to the Etihad is his new teammate Rayan Cherki, who signed yesterday from Lyon.
A mercurial attacking midfielder with a desire to roam free and run riot on opposition defences, Cherki will benefit from playing alongside the assured Reijnders and the control he will look to bring in midfield.
Manchester City struggled at times last season from a lack of legs in the middle of the park, and 21-year-old Cherki will hope that the efforts of Reijnders limit the amount of defensive work he will have to do, thus setting him free to create at the other end.
Pep Guardiola: From a similar standpoint, a return to sustained control over the midfield will allow Pep Guardiola to bring back the imperious style of football we have grown accustomed to during his time at City.
While the Citizens still often maintained a monopoly over ball possession at their worst of times, it at points felt last season as if chaos could descend at any moment with an opposition player breaking through midfield. Guardiola will hope that Reijnders, who can play in any role across midfield, can help put a stop to that.
Jeremy Doku: Reijnders has become known for his goalscoring prowess either when arriving from deep or playing interchanges with teammates in and around the box, and Belgian winger Jeremy Doku may feel that the Dutchman will offer him another good option to find in attacking areas.
Doku has at times been criticised for his lack of end product, and so the arrival of another regular goalscorer to get on the end of his crosses could go some way to putting that to bed.
Three losers from Reijnders’ arrival at City
Phil Foden: The culmination of the arrivals of both Cherki and Reijnders, Phil Foden may wonder where his place in the side may be next season.
The impressive January signing Omar Marmoush is less likely to see his game time impacted by the new arrivals, which may mean Foden needs to act quickly to make his mark on the side and ensure he is not squeezed out.
Competition for places is not necessarily a bad thing, but Foden will be all too aware that he was one of the first names on the team sheet just 12 months ago.
Ilkay Gundogan: A player likely to have his place in the starting XI taken by Reijnders, 34-year-old Gundogan contributed well to City’s Champions League qualification late in the season, but may know that his time at the Etihad is beginning to come to an end. A fantastic servant for the club over two spells, he is likely still to have a bit-part role to play if he does decide to stay.
Jack Grealish: With every new arrival at City, record £100m signing Jack Grealish is pushed closer to the exit door. It has become clear in recent months that his future may lie away from the club, and 29-year-old Grealish must look to make a move away this summer if he is to avoid another season sitting on the substitutes’ bench.