2 days ago
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The prospective accomplishment of AC Milan and Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders marks the commencement of a summertime rebuild for Manchester City.
Deposed arsenic Premier League champions by Liverpool, City finished 3rd past word and spent overmuch of the 2nd fractional of the run successful a five-way combat for a Champions League berth - which was lone secured connected the last day.
A genu wounded near them without Ballon d'Or victor and midfield enforcer Rodri for overmuch of 2024-25, portion the departure of talisman Kevin de Bruyne, 33, has agelong been confirmed.
It appears to beryllium a changing-of-the-guard infinitesimal for City and their manager Pep Guardiola, who spent £180m successful the wintertime transportation model to reenforce his squad.
Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri has besides been targeted and, with a fig of players turning oregon moving towards the incorrect broadside of 30, determination are question marks implicit the aboriginal of astir a twelve elder stars astatine the nine - fixed Guardiola's tendency to reduce the size of his squad.
But conscionable wherever volition Reijnders acceptable in? BBC Sport looks astatine what relation the Dutch prima could play nether Guardiola.
Reijnders joins City successful a play which feels similar a gyration alternatively than a renewal, and 1 that whitethorn necessitate a revolving doorway astatine the Etihad implicit the adjacent fewer months.
Midfielders Kalvin Phillips, James McAtee and Jack Grealish person each been tipped to permission the club, on with the likes of Kyle Walker.
Then you person Ederson, Stefan Ortega, Nathan Ake and John Stones, whose futures person besides been the taxable of overmuch media speculation.
Finding the close clip to regenerate ageing stars similar Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and the injured Mateo Kovacic successful City's midfield volition besides surely beryllium successful Guardiola's thinking.
Despite the £50m acquisition of Nico Gonzalez successful February, the deficiency of moving powerfulness and physicality successful City's motor country was exposed connected home and European stages arsenic they failed to triumph a large trophy for the archetypal clip successful 8 years.
And Reijnders, who turns 27 successful July and is reaching the highest of his powers, is viewed arsenic the antheral to assistance change that dynamic.
A almighty box-to-box midfielder, Reijnders ended past play with 10 goals and 4 assists successful Serie A, with lone 1 subordinate successful his position, Napoli's Scott McTominay (16), having much extremity involvements.
His performances were besides considered 1 of the fewer positives successful a disappointing play for Milan, who finished eighth successful Serie A and missed retired connected European qualification.
Reijnders was ranked ninth for guardant passes successful Italy's apical formation past word and was 5th for done balls and carrying the ball, which underlines his qualities successful progressing play.
"He volition slot successful precise good astatine City, helium runs a lot, he's precise consenting to amended and helium volition emotion moving with Guardiola," said Italian shot writer Daniele Verri.
"He improved a batch since his archetypal play astatine AC Milan."
While Reijnders has shown helium is adept playing astatine the basal of a midfield 3 oregon successful a treble pivot, his versatility makes him an perfect campaigner to lend positively to City's possession-based game.
But whether the antheral who worked astatine a section supermarket portion learning his commercialized astatine PEC Zwolle is the heir to De Bruyne remains to beryllium seen.
His erstwhile brag astatine AZ Alkmaar, Pascal Jansen, has antecedently spoken astir however helium believed Reijnders was amended deployed successful a cardinal midfield position, alternatively than a much attacking fig 10 role.
Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, who City showed a keen involvement successful earlier the German expressed a privation to caput to Anfield, would person seemed a much earthy successor successful benignant to the Belgian.
And City are besides being linked with Lyon attacker Rayan Cherki, who would arguably beryllium a amended positional lucifer to De Bruyne than Reijnders.
De Bruyne averaged much assists, shots connected target, created much chances and played considerably much passes into absorption punishment areas per crippled (11.8 to 3.6) than Reijnders past season.
However, since moving to the San Siro successful 2023 Reijnders has shown the quality to execute good successful antithetic roles nether the absorption of Stefano Pioli, Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao.
He flourished erstwhile fixed a licence to roam forward, tin sprout efficaciously from region and is besides not acrophobic to enactment his ft successful and premix it erstwhile required - not a prime that De Bruyne is peculiarly noted for.
"He has played successful antithetic systems astatine AC Milan, but successful my sentiment he's astatine his champion erstwhile helium doesn't play excessively acold from the opponent's punishment area, due to the fact that helium truly has bully runs and tin participate the country easily," added Verri.
"City tin expect goals, helium has a almighty changeable from distance. He tin instrumentality free-kicks too. He seems to beryllium a bully guy, arsenic helium was precise loved successful the dressing room.
"He laughs each the time, adjacent erstwhile helium misses a extremity oregon something."
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