Manchester City fans may still be adjusting to life without Kevin De Bruyne, but they have quickly found a new midfield idol in Tijjani Reijnders.
The Dutchman lit up Molineux on his Premier League debut, scoring once and assisting another as City thrashed Wolves. In doing so, he became only the second player in club history, after Sergio Agüero, to mark his league bow with both a goal and an assist.
“It’s a great start,” Reijnders said. “Very happy with an assist, a goal and a good win. Now we have to keep going.”
Pep Guardiola hailed his £42.5m summer signing from AC Milan as “really good… a lovely guy who has made an impact from day one,” praising his ability to break lines, find pockets of space and bring balance to midfield.
Former England striker Alan Shearer was even more effusive: “He was sensational, almost the perfect midfield performance. Wolves couldn’t cope with his movement.”
Reijnders’ rise has been steady rather than explosive. He debuted for PEC Zwolle in 2017 before cementing his reputation at AZ Alkmaar, where 13 goals and 15 assists in 128 games earned him a move to Milan in 2023.
Though Milan endured a miserable campaign, finishing eighth in Serie A, Reijnders was one of their few bright sparks, ranking high for progressive carries, through balls and secondary chance creation. His box-to-box drive quickly caught Guardiola’s attention.
Now, at City, he looks the perfect antidote to last season’s injury-ravaged midfield. With Rodri and Phil Foden still regaining fitness, Reijnders’ energy and creativity brought life back to a side that looked flat at times in 2024.
Against Wolves, he touched the ball 82 times, completed 52 of 57 passes, and laid on 22 passes in the final third, second only to Nico González.
His disguised ball for Erling Haaland’s second goal was a glimpse of a partnership that could terrorize defenses all season.
