A De Bruyne replacement? How Reijnders could fit Man City rebuild

The prospective presence of AC Milan and Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders marks nan commencement of a summertime rebuild for Manchester City.

Deposed arsenic Premier League champions by Liverpool, City vanished 3rd past word and spent overmuch of nan 2nd half of nan run successful a five-way conflict for a Champions League berth - which was only secured connected nan last day.

A knee wounded near them without Ballon d'Or victor and midfield enforcer Rodri for overmuch of 2024-25, while nan departure of talisman Kevin de Bruyne, 33, has agelong been confirmed.

It appears to beryllium a changing-of-the-guard infinitesimal for City and their head Pep Guardiola, who spent £180m successful nan wintertime transportation model to reenforce his squad.

Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri has besides been targeted and, pinch a number of players turning aliases moving towards nan incorrect broadside of 30, location are mobility marks complete nan early of astir a twelve elder stars astatine nan nine - fixed Guardiola's desire to reduce nan size of his squad.

But conscionable wherever will Reijnders fresh in? BBC Sport looks astatine what domiciled nan Dutch prima could play nether Guardiola.

Reijnders joins City successful a play which feels for illustration a gyration alternatively than a renewal, and 1 that whitethorn require a revolving doorway astatine nan Etihad complete nan adjacent fewer months.

Midfielders Kalvin Phillips, James McAtee and Jack Grealish person each been tipped to time off nan club, on pinch nan likes of Kyle Walker.

Then you person Ederson, Stefan Ortega, Nathan Ake and John Stones, whose futures person besides been nan taxable of overmuch media speculation.

Finding nan correct clip to switch ageing stars for illustration Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and nan injured Mateo Kovacic successful City's midfield will besides surely beryllium successful Guardiola's thinking.

Despite nan £50m acquisition of Nico Gonzalez successful February, nan deficiency of moving powerfulness and physicality successful City's motor room was exposed connected home and European stages arsenic they grounded to triumph a awesome trophy for nan first clip successful 8 years.

And Reijnders, who turns 27 successful July and is reaching nan highest of his powers, is viewed arsenic nan man to thief change that dynamic.

A powerful box-to-box midfielder, Reijnders ended past play pinch 10 goals and 4 assists successful Serie A, pinch only 1 subordinate successful his position, Napoli's Scott McTominay (16), having much extremity involvements.

His performances were besides considered 1 of nan fewer positives successful a disappointing play for Milan, who vanished eighth successful Serie A and missed retired connected European qualification.

Reijnders was classed ninth for guardant passes successful Italy's apical formation past word and was 5th for done balls and carrying nan ball, which underlines his qualities successful progressing play.

"He will slot successful very good astatine City, he runs a lot, he's very consenting to amended and he will emotion moving pinch Guardiola," said Italian shot journalist Daniele Verri.

"He improved a batch since his first play astatine AC Milan."

While Reijnders has shown he is adept playing astatine nan guidelines of a midfield 3 aliases successful a double pivot, his versatility makes him an perfect campaigner to lend positively to City's possession-based game.

But whether nan man who worked astatine a section supermarket while learning his waste and acquisition astatine PEC Zwolle is nan heir to De Bruyne remains to beryllium seen.

His erstwhile leader astatine AZ Alkmaar, Pascal Jansen, has antecedently spoken astir really he believed Reijnders was amended deployed successful a cardinal midfield position, alternatively than a much attacking number 10 role.

Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, who City showed a keen liking successful earlier nan German expressed a wish to caput to Anfield, would person seemed a much earthy successor successful style to nan Belgian.

And City are besides being linked pinch Lyon attacker Rayan Cherki, who would arguably beryllium a amended positional lucifer to De Bruyne than Reijnders.

De Bruyne averaged much assists, shots connected target, created much chances and played considerably much passes into guidance punishment areas per crippled (11.8 to 3.6) than Reijnders past season.

However, since moving to nan San Siro successful 2023 Reijnders has shown nan expertise to execute good successful different roles nether nan guidance of Stefano Pioli, Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao.

He flourished erstwhile fixed a licence to roam forward, tin sprout efficaciously from region and is besides not acrophobic to put his ft successful and operation it erstwhile required - not a value that De Bruyne is peculiarly noted for.

"He has played successful different systems astatine AC Milan, but successful my sentiment he's astatine his champion erstwhile he doesn't play excessively acold from nan opponent's punishment area, because he really has bully runs and tin participate nan area easily," added Verri.

"City tin expect goals, he has a powerful changeable from distance. He tin return free-kicks too. He seems to beryllium a bully guy, arsenic he was very loved successful nan dressing room.

"He laughs each nan time, moreover erstwhile he misses a extremity aliases something."