Reijnders leaves Man City for Al-Qadsiah: €60m fee, honest motives, and the Netherlands dilemma

Around €60 million is the price Al-Qadsiah paid to take Tijjani Reijnders away from Manchester City. But the bigger story is the Dutch midfielder's own admission: he is leaving for money, for family security, and because his role at the Etihad was already over. At Man City, Reijnders was no longer part of the long-term plan. The club signed three new midfielders and needed sales to balance the wage bill. Atletico Madrid held talks but could not meet the €60m asking price. Al-Qadsiah emerged as the only buyer willing to pay it in full – a clean exit for the seller. Financially, this is a tidy sale for City. They collected €60m for a player no longer central to the squad and reinvested the money in midfield. Al-Qadsiah accepted the asking price without competitive pressure from Europe – effectively paying a convenience premium. A reported salary of around €20m per year over five years, based on unverified reports, would reset Al-Qadsiah's internal wage ceiling and create knock-on risk for future renewals. The conversation with Al-Qadsiah's coach was decisive for Reijnders: “After that conversation, I became very excited.” But his phrase “Do I want to stay another season at Man City without being completely happy” shows the decision was not just about money – it was also about a diminished role. It is easy to label Reijnders a money-chaser. Yet the transfer has three-way logic: City clears squad space, Al-Qadsiah raises ambition, and the player secures generational wealth. The blind spot is long-term motivation. A player who says he never has to work again after this contract may struggle to keep his competitive edge in a lower-level league. If the Netherlands begin to overlook him, critics will use this move as proof that the Saudi Pro League is still a retirement destination. Judge this deal after six to twelve months. If Reijnders stays in the Netherlands squad and performs at his usual level, Al-Qadsiah will have opened a new pathway for prime-age stars. If he disappears from the elite radar, the cautionary tale of massive wage deals gets another chapter. Editor's note: Some details in the original source still need fact-checking, including the identity of the Netherlands head coach and the list of three new Manchester City signings, as they do not match widely known public information.