Why Manchester City Signed Tijjani Reijnders: For Breaking Lines and Scoring Goals

Manchester City are strengthening their squad following a disappointing 2024-25 campaign by bringing in AC Milan and Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders. Here’s a closer look at his playing style and how he could make a difference for the Citizens.

Manchester City rarely make mistakes in the transfer market.

A big part of that success comes down to their immense resources. They have the means to scout extensively, conduct in-depth research, and pay fees and wages that most clubs simply can’t match.

Add to that their appeal as one of Europe’s dominant forces—consistently competing for and winning major trophies—and convincing top talent to join becomes a lot easier.

Another key factor behind their recruitment success is the environment new players walk into. With a world-class manager at the helm and a stable, well-drilled squad already in place, new signings often only need to adapt to an already thriving system—making the transition smoother than at most other clubs.

This summer, however, things feel a little different at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola has just overseen the worst league campaign of his managerial career, with City finishing outside the Premier League’s top two and ending the season without silverware for the first time in eight years.

Filling the De Bruyne Void: Reijnders’ Role in City’s Midfield Evolution

Manchester City have also just said goodbye to one of their greatest ever players and a true Premier League icon, with Kevin De Bruyne departing after his contract expired. His exit leaves a massive void in City’s midfield and a near-impossible act to follow.

While injuries restricted De Bruyne to just 34 starts from a possible 78 league games over his last two seasons, City have been gradually adjusting to life without him on the pitch.

Despite their wealth of attacking talent, there’s simply no like-for-like replacement for a player of De Bruyne’s unique quality. However, with the £46.3 million signing of Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan, City may have found someone capable of replicating at least one key element of the Belgian’s brilliance—his elite ability to break defensive lines with incisive passes, an area where De Bruyne has few equals in Premier League history.

Reijnders’ Strength: Breaking Lines, But Not Always Creating Chances

At 26, Tijjani Reijnders led Serie A in breaking opposition defensive lines with 47 such passes this season. He also ranked seventh for passes breaking through the midfield line (147).

Impressively, he bypassed two layers of opposition pressure with a single pass on 26 occasions—the third-highest among non-defenders in Italy’s top flight—and even managed to break through three lines of pressure three times, also the third-best tally in the league.

It’s clear he has a knack for splitting defences with his passing range. However, while his line-breaking passes often disrupt defensive structures, they don’t frequently translate into direct chances; of his 229 line-breaking passes in 2024-25, only 10 led to a shot (4.4%).

Interestingly, as the graphic below highlights, many of his passes moved play from central areas to the flanks rather than directly towards goal. That dynamic could shift at City, though, especially with a striker like Erling Haaland making central runs behind defences.

Goal Threat from Midfield: Reijnders’ Late Runs Into the Box

Reijnders isn’t just a creator — he’s a genuine goal threat himself. The Dutch midfielder netted 10 league goals this season, marking the best scoring return of his career. Among central midfielders in Serie A, only Scott McTominay bettered that tally, courtesy of a late-season burst of five goals in three games that propelled Napoli to the title.

Much like McTominay, Reijnders excels at making late, surging runs into the box from deep positions. He’s also comfortable breaking beyond the striker to exploit space behind the defence. As highlighted in the examples below, he often found himself as Milan’s furthest forward player, capitalizing on well-timed runs to score.

His attacking intent is underlined by his 77 shots across the Serie A season—the 10th most of any player in the league and the highest among non-strikers—illustrating just how frequently he positions himself to trouble opposition defences.

Ball-Carrying Brilliance

Reijnders’ energetic style isn’t limited to his off-the-ball movement; it’s equally evident when he’s in possession. He’s highly skilled at receiving the ball in tight spaces, evading pressure, and driving forward with intent. This ability makes him effective at picking up passes both in congested midfield areas and between the lines in advanced positions, where his involvement is more likely to lead to goal-scoring opportunities.

A key strength of his game is progressing play through ball-carrying. Only four players in Serie A recorded more carries of at least five metres than his 561 this season—and three of those were centre-backs. Among the top 20 players for total carries, only one averaged longer carries than Reijnders, at an impressive 11.8 metres per carry.

His forward intent is clear: among non-defenders, only Lazio’s Mattéo Guendouzi completed more progressive carries towards goal. Reijnders also ranked sixth for shot-ending carries, behind only wingers and strikers, with 26 in total.

It’s worth noting that Reijnders posted these standout numbers while playing for an underperforming AC Milan side, which slumped to eighth in Serie A—their lowest finish in a decade. His ability to excel despite a struggling team likely caught Manchester City’s attention.

Defensive Frailties but Time on His Side at Manchester City

For all his attacking qualities, Reijnders’ defensive output leaves plenty of room for improvement—especially considering he spent much of the season in a double pivot within a 4-2-3-1 or as part of a midfield three in a 4-3-3 setup. His average of just 0.8 tackles per 90 minutes was the lowest of any Serie A midfielder with at least 1,000 minutes played, while his 3.6 possession regains per 90 was also among the lowest in that group.

At Manchester City, he’ll benefit massively from playing alongside Rodri, arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world. Reijnders should be viewed as a complement to Rodri, not as someone capable of replacing him should the Spaniard miss time again through injury.

In truth, this isn’t the ideal moment to arrive at City. Reijnders isn’t joining a flawless, title-winning machine needing just minor tweaks. Instead, he steps into a talented but underperforming squad in need of immediate improvement.

However, the lowered expectations at the Etihad after a disappointing campaign could actually work in his favor. While a Premier League title push is the bare minimum demanded, Guardiola’s side won’t face the same intense pressure to dominate as they have in previous seasons.

That should give Reijnders valuable breathing space to adapt to the Premier League and gradually grow into his role. Historically, most marquee signings tend to thrive under Guardiola’s guidance—and Reijnders has a fair shot at following that path.

Read More: Rayan Cherki Is Europe’s Chance-Creation King and The Reason Why Manchester City Signed Him

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