Line-breaking Midfield Boss: What Tijjani Reijnders will bring to Al Qadsiah

As a team, Al Qadsiah don’t want for much, with Brendan Rodgers transforming the Al Khobar-based outfit into one of the Roshn Saudi League’s most dynamic and attacking sides.

So, understandably, the prospect of them getting stronger is a scary one for opposition clubs. 

However, the arrival of Netherlands international Tijjani Reijnders from Manchester City on Wednesday undoubtedly fortifies Al Qadsiah’s RSL title credentials - as if they weren’t already established.

So, what makes the Dutch midfielder so good, and what will he bring to Rodgers’ fast-rising side? Let’s take a closer look, as Reijnders gets set to debut on Friday night, in the must-watch home clash against 2024-25 champions Al Ittihad.

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Splitting the lines

Coaches love players, particularly midfielders, that can break the lines and progress the ball forward. Consider Reijnders, therefore, Al Qadsiah’s Progressor-in-Chief.

Before his season at Manchester City, the stylish star was on the books of Italian giants AC Milan, and in his final campaign in the north of Italy, his numbers showed why Pep Guardiola made him a priority signing last summer.

In that season, Reijnders broke the defensive line more than any other player in Serie A (47 times), while he ranked seventh for breaking the midfield line (147).

“I’m like a box-to-box midfielder who likes to join the build-up from the back and eventually to feed attackers and create chances,” Reijnders told the Manchester City website after joining.

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A new-age midfield boss

When people think of dominant central midfielders, the prototype might be a strong, physical footballer in the mould of Patrick Vieira or Roy Keane. Reijnders doesn’t fit that description - but he dominates all the same.

Perhaps unlike some of the generations before, his superiority comes from, well, dominating the ball. Again using his final season in Milan as a reference, Reijnders recorded 561 carries - bettered by only four players in Serie A, three of which were central defenders.

Importantly, 275 of those carries were classified as progressive, with Reijnders’ average carry covering almost 12 metres - a huge distance when you think about the effectiveness of his passes when he does release the ball.

“Being dominant on the pitch against opponents and playing attacking football - that’s what suits me the best,” Reijnders told the City website.

In a side like Al Qadsiah, who with the likes of reigning SPL Saudi Player of the Season Musab Al Juwayr like to enjoy most of the possession, Reijnders seems set to slot in perfectly.

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Goal threat

While his numbers aren’t off the charts, they do demonstrate an ability to get on the scoresheet, either by finding the net himself or creating for others.

Now 28, Reijnders scored 19 goals and provided nine assists across two seasons in Milan, and had seven goals and eight assists in 47 appearances for Manchester City last term. 

While those stats maybe don’t jump off the page, in his final season at Milan - when he hit double figures for league goals (10) for the first time in his career - Reijnders had the most shots of any non-striker in the Italian top flight (77).

Indeed, it was his ability to time runs from deep into the penalty area that really caught Guardiola’s eye.

"We knew that he is a special player arriving into the box,” Guardiola said last summer after a pre-season friendly against Palermo. “He loves to do that.”

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Hunger and desire

Rodgers makes little secret of how much he demands from his players in his ultra-aggressive, high-pressing style. It requires a level of commitment from each team member to buy in.

That work ethic is hard-wired into Reijnders, who is something of a late bloomer having spent time earlier in his career stacking shelves at a supermarket in his native Netherlands before his current calling really took off.

His previous managers, including Pascal Jansen, who coached Reijnders at AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Eredivisie, have been effusive in their praise of the player’s commitment and work ethic.

“I can remember it like it was yesterday,” Jansen previously told Sky Sports. “He smashed everyone in midfield.

"He came up to me and said, 'Coach, I have played 50 per cent of the minutes, but I need more.' 

“I told him that the impact he had made at the end of that season had to be the standard for next season. He said, 'No problem, that is what I will do.'"

AZ played 54 matches in all competitions the following campaign. Reijnders started every single one of them.

"He took off,” Jansen offered... “and never looked back.”