Enzo Maresca makes decision on Tijjani Reijnders’ Man City future as pre-season return looms

• Enzo Maresca is fond of Tijjani Reijnders and desires to give the former AC Milan man a chance
• Reijnders had 14 goal involvements last term but only started three of the final 12 games
• Netherlands international to be given a chance to fight for his place under new Man City boss

New Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca is keen to provide Tijjani Reijnders with an opportunity to prove himself amidst doubts over his future at the Etihad Stadium.

Following his £46 million move from Italian giants AC Milan last summer, Reijnders showed glimpses of his obvious quality but struggled to maintain a consistent spot in the starting XI under Pep Guardiola.

Whilst seven goal contributions in 19 league starts is by no means a particularly poor return, after his exemplary debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers and registering 16 goals and four assists across competitions for his former club the season prior, his start to life at Manchester City has perhaps not gone as well as many had initially hoped.

Galatasaray awaiting Manchester City go-ahead to open formal Tijjani Reijnders transfer talks

What could the future hold for Tijjani Reijnders?

After a decade under the stewardship of Guardiola, new manager Maresca is assessing all potential options available to him as he attempts the impossible task of filling the boots of the Catalan and takes the helm in the Manchester City dugout.

Due to Reijnders’ struggles for regular first-team football, questions around the midfielder’s future in Manchester have been raised, with, according to FootballInsider, the likes of Galatasaray, Juventus and AC Milan all holding interest in the Netherlands international.

Off the back of an underwhelming World Cup campaign for the Netherlands which saw Oranje exit in the round of 16 at the hands of Morocco, Reijnders himself impressed individually and will be hoping for a new beginning involving more minutes as the domestic season approaches.

Pete O’Rourke, transfer correspondent at FootballInsider, explained what Reijnders must do to secure his future in sky blue and silence the ongoing noise regarding his future.

“Reijnders has got a big pre-season ahead of him as he tries to impress the new Man City manager, Enzo Maresca. He started really well last season but then lost his place under Pep Guardiola,” he said.

“It’s a clean slate for him and everybody at City under Maresca, so Reijnders will be hoping that he can become a regular in the side. He had a decent World Cup for the Netherlands, so it doesn’t surprise me that other clubs are looking at him.”

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Regardless of a slightly quiet season for the Dutchman in 2025/26, his ability is undeniable, and if profiled correctly, he could be a key fixture in Enzo Maresca’s City side, and the Italian manager seems eager for this to be the case.