Tijjani Reijnders is on the brink of leaving Manchester City for Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah in a deal worth £52 million — less than 14 months after the Dutch midfielder arrived at the Etihad Stadium.

City signed Reijnders from AC Milan last summer for £46.5 million, but the 28-year-old Netherlands international never cemented himself in the starting eleven, managing just 19 Premier League appearances across the entire season.

A tough year in Manchester

Reijnders made an electrifying start to his City career, scoring one goal and providing an assist in a 4-0 opening-day thrashing of Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, that performance stood as the high-water mark of his time at the club. He was absent from both the Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal and the FA Cup final triumph over Chelsea.

With new head coach Enzo Maresca — who replaced Pep Guardiola this summer — Reijnders featured in all three of City's pre-season friendlies. Yet a notable absence from an open training session ahead of Sunday's Community Shield clash with Arsenal fuelled speculation that his exit was imminent.

Rodgers reunion in the Saudi Pro League

According to BBC Sport, Reijnders is set to join Al-Qadsiah, where he will be reunited with former Liverpool, Leicester City, and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers took charge of the Saudi club in December, guiding them from fifth place to a fourth-place finish last season, and opened this campaign with a 3-1 win over Al-Shabab.

Al-Qadsiah's squad already features Italy striker Mateo Retegui and FIFA World Cup 2026 contender Julian Quinones of Mexico. The addition of Reijnders would represent a significant statement of ambition for the club.

A summer of upheaval in City's midfield

Reijnders' departure is the latest in a series of midfield changes at City this summer. Elliot Anderson has arrived from Nottingham Forest in a £116 million deal, while Rodri is widely expected to make a move to Barcelona. City are also reportedly tracking Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who worked under Maresca at Stamford Bridge.

Mateo Kovacic, Nico Gonzalez, and versatile left-back Nico O'Reilly — who featured in central midfield on several occasions last season — remain as options in the centre of the park.

After the Community Shield, Maresca's side open their Premier League campaign at home to Bournemouth on Sunday, August 23.