Enzo Maresca is set to hand Tijjani Reijnders a lifeline at Manchester City, backing the midfielder to rediscover form after a difficult first campaign.
According to Football Insider, Tijjani Reijnders is set to receive backing from new manager Enzo Maresca, who is reportedly keen to include him in his plans despite interest from elsewhere.
Manchester City missed out on the Premier League title to Arsenal last season, and Reijnders could be considered one of the underperforming stars in the side. Despite contributing 14 goal involvements and a bright start to life at the Etihad following his £46 million move from AC Milan, his influence waned in the latter stages of the campaign.
However, he recovered with a decent World Cup campaign with the Netherlands, demonstrating enough talent to rediscover the level he showed during his time at Milan.
Will Tijjani Reijnders get his Manchester City chance?
Enzo Maresca is continuing to assess his squad steadily, as most players who participated at the World Cup are yet to return. There are also some rumblings that the Italian wants to hand chances to players with uncertain futures heading into the new season. For instance, the manager has reportedly decided to give Jack Grealish a chance to prove himself and is now expected to extend the same opportunity to Reijnders.
Several clubs have reportedly expressed interest in Reijnders, including Atletico Madrid ahead of the summer, while the report also names Galatasaray, Juventus, and former side AC Milan.
Reijnders faces temptation to join one of these sides to secure a more prominent role; however, Manchester City are unwilling to sell the Dutch midfielder this summer. Maresca will assess Reijnders in pre-season before confirming his role under the new management
Manchester City are keen to add more midfielders following the arrival of Elliot Anderson in a club-record deal, with the club stepping up their interest in Ayyoub Bouaddi. Even if the Moroccan arrives, it may not affect Reijnders’s role, given that the Dutchman plays a more box-to-box position, with former boss Pep Guardiola having greatly valued his impact near or inside the final third.
