Reijnders arrived at Milan for a fee of €20.5m in the summer of 2023 and though the initial idea may have been to deploy him as a defensive midfielder, he has blossomed as something akin to a traditional box-to-box No. 8. Indeed, he has made a significant attacking impact this season, scoring 12 goals in all competitions.
In addition to his mobility, smart off-the-ball movement and dribbling, Reijnders excels at picking out passes from deep — often filtering the ball through two defensive lines to find a teammate (1.6 key passes per 90 is high for a No. 8). His goal-scoring antics also suggest that he times his attacking runs to perfection and he is often found slotting the ball into the net from just inside the penalty area with a one-touch finish. Though he is also able to shoot from distance, too.
Another interesting aspect of Reijnders’ game is his speed, which is unusual for a central midfielder. Not only does he accelerate quickly, his size and easy running style allow him to break free of his markers and evade pressure unlike many others.
With licence to move forward this season, his defensive output has dropped, so to get the most out of his attacking potential, he is best suited playing alongside a more defensive-minded central midfielder.
OTHER RUMORS
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Could Man City miss out on top 5?
Jan Åge Fjørtoft joins “ESPN FC” to debate whether Manchester City could end up missing out on the Champions League spots this season.
– Despite the upcoming arrival of Estevao from Palmeiras this summer, Chelsea are looking for another winger and have Jamie Gittens (Borussia Dortmund), Nico Williams (Athletic Club) and Mathys Tel (Bayern, on loan at Tottenham) on their radar. (Irish Sun)
– Man City could make an €80m move for Barcelona winger Raphinha, who has 27 goals and 20 assists from 44 matches this season. (El Nacional)
– Manchester United want at least €15m from clubs interested in signing 33-year-old midfielder Casemiro, who signed from Real Madrid for €70m in 2022. (Ekrem Konur)
– Tottenham could make a triple swoop on Wolves as they look to land midfield pair Joao Gomes and Andre, as well as left-back Rayan Ait Nouri, in the summer. (TBR)
– Atlético Madrid have made an enquiry about signing Espanyol winger Javi Puado, with the 25-year-old’s contract coming to an end this summer. Espanyol are trying to renew Puado’s contract, while Sevilla are also interested in signing him. (Relevo)
– Atlético are also interested in making Clément Lenglet’s loan from Barcelona permanent, but the two clubs are struggling to agree on how much the centre-back’s transfer is worth. Los Colchoneros want the 29-year-old for almost nothing, while Barça are demanding €10m. (Sport)
– The impressive performances of Union Berlin centre-back Diogo Leite have resulted in growing interest from other Bundesliga clubs, plus those from Spain and Italy, but Union want to renew the 26-year-old’s contract with his deal set to expire in 2026. (Rudy Galetti)
– Juventus are looking at signing Pierre Kalulu from Milan for around €14m, after moving on from previous target David Hancko of Feyenoord. (TuttoJuve)
– Tottenham are plotting a move for Milan centre-back Fikayo Tomori. That comes with this being a key position for Spurs after injuries to Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin exposed a lack of depth at the heart of Ange Postecoglou’s defence this season. (TEAMtalk)
