Manchester City was able to bid £51 million this summer on the “incomprehensible” midfielder, with Pep Guardiola personally identifying him as a target, according to the report.
Step up your midfielder tracking
Given the declining performance levels this season, Guardiola is already planning to oversee a massive reconstruction this summer, and the need to introduce a new midfielder has been exacerbated by the fact that Kevin de Bruin announced his decision to leave at the end of the campaign.
Following the news, Mancity has stepped up his 33-year-old pursuit of replacement, with Lyon’s Rayan Cerki recently emerging as a potential target alongside FC Barcelona’s Dani Ormo, where Guardiola is believed to be a huge fan.
Not only does Guardiola need to invite attacking midfielders, but the manager may be tasked with bringing new options in a slightly deeper role, given that Ilkay Gandogan is probably in Twilight years of his career, at 34.
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According to a report by Calcio Mercato, the Manchester City boss is aiming to revamp the middle of this summer, with AC Milan’s Tijani Rei Jinders.
Sky Blues is able to make a massive offer to Reijnders of around 50 million euros (£43 million -£51 million), despite recently renewing its contract with the Italian side until the summer of 2030.
Real Madrid has also expressed interest in the midfielder who was impressed with his performance this season, but Guardiola’s side has yet to take a formal approach, but remains the party he is most interested in.
“Insane” reijnders could be a great sign for the city
The Dutch is one of AC Milan’s most consistent performers in Serie A this season, with Whoscoered Match Rating average of 7.04, and the second-highest on the team, and was particularly impressed from an offensive perspective.
The Milan star has nine goals and four assists on 30 Serie A outings, and has been in the top 3% with non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, ranking highly in other major metrics when compared to other midfielders in the five major leagues.
statistics | Average per 90 |
Non-penalty goals | 0.29 (97th percentile) |
Shot creation action | 3.52 (86th percentile) |
Progressive Carry | 3.32 (98th percentile) |
A successful take-on | 1.11 (88th percentile) |
Football scout Ben Matinson is also particularly fond of the Dutch International, praised him for his “incomprehensible” performance early in the campaign, and at age 26, the central midfielder was able to enter his best year.
While Gandogan was a great servant in the city, Mateo Kovasic was a key player in last season’s Premier League title win, Guardiola clearly feels he needs to refresh his options in the middle, and the Resinders could be a great sign.