'I can become more complete at Man City' - Tijjani Reijnders opens up on impending £46m transfer as Etihad-bound midfielder talks Pep Guardiola, Kevin De Bruyne and his unique path to the top

"Is it true that I have already agreed personally? There are still a few final details to be ironed out. It's a matter of waiting and seeing," Reijnders said when speaking to Voetbalzone and other Dutch media on Wednesday as the Netherlands prepare to begin their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign against Finland on Saturday.

"I can't say any more about it. I am still an AC Milan player and I have to respect that. I'm also waiting to see what the clubs will do."

Despite Reijnders' reluctance to confirm his impending transfer, he was open to speaking out regarding how he might adapt to life at the Etihad.

Playing under Guardiola and learning from one of the game's greatest-ever coaches is something players around the world tend to relish, but there has been concern among fans that the Catalan can remove the freedom from certain individuals' games due to his relentless pursuit of perfection. Jack Grealish is regularly cited as an example of this, with the England midfielder having largely been a shadow of the thrilling Aston Villa player who took the Premier League by storm since his big-money switch to City in 2021.

"Am I afraid that the 'freedom' in my game will be lost under Guardiola? We'll have to wait and see if that happens," Reijnders says. "There's always room for development, in every respect, especially as a midfielder. There are so many things you can develop. I can become a more complete midfielder there, if the deal goes through."

In terms of his current playing style, Reijnders describes himself as a "box-to-box" player who is ideal for how the game is progressing through the mid-2020s.

"I think I'm a modern midfielder," he says. "And I'm always fit, which is also an advantage. Fortunately, I've always been fit so far and I hope to stay that way for as long as possible."

That fitness record will be music to Guardiola's ears within an era when players are picking up more and more injuries due to the increasing workload brought on by revamped, or in some cases completely new, competitions. Reijnders made 54 apperances for Milan last season, scoring 15 goals, and has played in all-but three of the Rossoneri's Serie A matches since arriving at San Siro in 2023, missing two due to suspension while he was an unused substitute in the other.

"How can I play so many games? Eating well, that's the secret. My mother's fried rice works wonders!" Reijnders laughs. "I listen carefully to my body and pay close attention to what I need before and after games. I hope that continues to work for as long as possible.

"Things were a bit more difficult for us at Milan this season, which may have made it a bit tougher mentally. I just always felt fit when I was in the starting line up, so I had no problems with that."

While Reijnders' exact role in the City line up isn't yet known, he will be one of a number of players who will be tasked with replacing De Bruyne over the coming years. The legendary Belgian left City at the end of the season after not being offered a new contract, and the pressure is on Guardiola to ensure that one of the most creative forces in modern English football history is not missed.

"I learned a lot from how he scans the area before he gets the ball," Reijnders says when asked about what he has learned from watching De Bruyne from afar. "My father pointed that out to me and from then on I really started to pay attention to him. If you look ahead, you give yourself so much more time. I now apply that in every game.

"De Bruyne is a great player. When you look at Manchester City, I think De Bruyne is the first player you notice."

How Reijnders goes about leaving his own legacy at City is all to come; for now, he is ready to embrace the next move in a career that a few years ago didn't look likely to lead to him joining one of the richest and most successful teams in European football. Having come through the PEC Zwolle academy while working at a local supermarket, Reijnders joined AZ Alkmaar in 2018.

He found first-team opportunities hard to come by, though, and after a not particularly successful loan spell at RKC Waalwijk, his chances of reaching the top looked slim at best. However, after finally becoming a regular starter at AZ at the age of 24, he hasn't looked back, making his international debut a year later having joined Milan, where he won Serie A's Best Midfielder award for the season just gone.

"I had to wait a long time at AZ, but I always think, 'the path I am on is the one I should have taken'. I'm following that path calmly," Reijnders reflects. "My wife often says, 'because you made your breakthrough later, you can also keep going longer!'" Guardiola and City will certainly hope that she is right.