Only three Dutch players have been more expensive than Man City signing Reijnders

Tijjani Reijnders’ blockbuster move to Manchester City is more than just another major signing it’s a landmark moment in the history of Dutch football, a milestone for AC Milan, and a clear message from City as they prepare to rebuild after losing their Premier League crown.

With a deal reportedly worth up to €70 million including bonuses, Reijnders becomes the fourth most expensive Dutch footballer of all time, and could soon become the most lucrative sale in AC Milan’s entire history surpassing even Kaká’s €67 million transfer to Real Madrid in 2009.

City were forced to buy out Reijnders’ contract, which ran until 2030, showing just how serious they were about securing the 25-year-old midfielder. The base fee is reported to be €55 million, with a further €15 million tied to performance-based bonuses. These incentives include team and individual achievements such as Champions League progression, Premier League titles, appearances, and more. Should they all be met, Reijnders will officially become AC Milan’s most expensive outgoing transfer ever.

From a sporting perspective, Reijnders fits the mold of a classic Pep Guardiola signing: a player with elegance, tactical flexibility, and high footballing IQ. The Dutchman is capable of operating in several roles as a central midfielder in a 4-3-3, as a deep-lying playmaker, or even drifting into wide areas to support possession-heavy build-up. Guardiola reportedly sees him as a long-term evolution of the roles once held by Ilkay Gündogan and currently by Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovačić.

Manchester City, dethroned last season by Arsenal, are undergoing what could be described as a subtle squad refresh. The arrival of Reijnders represents a key piece in this transition. Unlike some of the younger, raw talents City have invested in recently, Reijnders arrives as a mature, battle-tested player who has already excelled in two of Europe’s top five leagues. After moving from AZ Alkmaar to AC Milan in 2023, he quickly became a key figure for the Rossoneri, helping them reach the Champions League quarterfinals and maintain domestic consistency in Serie A.

This isn’t just a success story for City or Milan it’s also a massive moment for Dutch football. Reijnders now sits just behind Frenkie de Jong (€86M to Barcelona), Matthijs de Ligt (€85.5M to Juventus), and Virgil van Dijk (€84.65M to Liverpool) in the all-time Dutch transfer rankings, according to Transfermarkt. Remarkably, he surpasses De Ligt’s €67M transfer to Bayern Munich and enters a list typically dominated by players who broke through as teenage prodigies.

What makes Reijnders’ rise even more notable is how unconventional it has been. Unlike De Ligt or De Jong stars of Ajax’s golden generation Reijnders didn’t make his international breakthrough until his mid-20s. He spent several developmental seasons in the Eredivisie before blossoming into a complete midfielder in Italy. That steady trajectory may be one of his greatest strengths: he arrives in Manchester with experience, maturity, and the humility of a player who worked his way up rather than bursting onto the scene.

At City, Reijnders will link up with fellow Dutch international Nathan Aké, who also appears on the list of the top ten most expensive Dutch transfers following his €45.3 million move from Bournemouth. Dutch football continues to provide technically refined, tactically intelligent players, particularly in midfield and defense. Alongside names like Teun Koopmeiners (recently transferred from Atalanta to Juventus for €58.4M) and Xavi Simons (who joined RB Leipzig from PSG for €50M), Reijnders represents the modern Dutch archetype: adaptable, composed, and capable of thriving in the most demanding systems.

For AC Milan, this transfer is both a sporting loss and a financial triumph. When they signed Reijnders from AZ for around €20 million, they were betting on a player who had shown glimpses of brilliance in the Netherlands. Two years later, they’re selling a polished product for more than triple that amount. If the performance bonuses are triggered, this deal will not only break their own sales record but also provide critical funds for squad reinforcements as they aim to remain competitive in Serie A and Europe.

Despite the financial windfall, Milan’s fanbase may understandably feel the sting of losing one of their most consistent and intelligent midfielders. Reijnders brought structure, rhythm, and balance to the team qualities that are often overlooked in favor of flashier attacking metrics but are vital to winning matches and trophies.

At Manchester City, the pressure will be immense. This is a team that plays to win every competition it enters. There is no adjustment period Reijnders will be expected to contribute immediately. However, under Guardiola, few environments are better suited for players with his profile. His technical calmness, positional sense, and capacity to control tempo are all assets that Guardiola values highly. In a midfield that could soon evolve beyond the De Bruyne-Rodri axis, Reijnders has the opportunity to make his mark on the next chapter of City’s dominance.

Whether he ends up as a central cog in Guardiola’s machine or finds his place through rotation and development, this transfer is already a turning point in his career. It marks the arrival of a player who, though perhaps overlooked in earlier stages of his career, now stands among the elite in terms of valuation, responsibility, and expectation.