Maresca on Reijnders' Future at Manchester City: Likely Exit Ahead
Enzo Maresca cut a realistic figure as he addressed Tijani Reijnders’ future at Manchester City, openly accepting that the midfielder may be the next to move on after a frustrating season on the fringes.
Asked whether Reijnders’ situation mirrors that of Omar Marmoush and James Trafford, whose limited roles last year have shaped their paths this season, Maresca didn’t hesitate.
“Probably, yes,” he said. “They all work every day, they do sessions every day and at the end of the week they all want to play a game. When they don't play, they struggle to understand or see the reason why. I can understand that after one season, some of them would like to play a little bit more. It's a normal situation.”
The message was clear: this is the reality of a stacked City squad. Not everyone gets the minutes they feel they’ve earned.
The real tension sits with what happens next. Has Maresca managed to persuade Reijnders to stay and fight for his place?
“It's a bit difficult to convince players when they are already convinced, it's not always easy. It's Tijani's situation,” he admitted. “I think when the club, players, manager, they all think in the same way, that is probably the best decision for a player to go? They go.”
No drama. No dressing-room war. Just an alignment of views that usually ends one way.
Even so, Maresca made it clear he rates the Dutchman highly and had a plan for him if he stayed. The deal is “not officially done”, he stressed, but the tone suggested the clock is ticking.
“Tij is not officially done, but we'll see in the next hour,” Maresca said. “I already spoke with him a few times in pre-season, then we will see if he is going to leave or if he is going to stay, we try to...”
He paused, then leaned into what he’d seen over the summer.
“In the way he was playing in the pre-season games, I was quite happy with his performance overall. I know Tij from Italy, from Milan when he was there so I know him quite well. I know there he was playing in a different position, he likes to play a little more deep rather than high up the pitch, but again in the pre-season he was good, then we'll see what happens and we'll decide.”
That detail matters. Maresca sees Reijnders as a deeper option, someone who can help build from the back rather than operate high between the lines. It’s the kind of tactical nuance that often decides whether a player becomes a regular or a rotation piece at a club like City.
For now, the outcome looks inevitable. The manager admires the player, the player wants more, and the club seems prepared to act accordingly.
If all three really do “think in the same way,” as Maresca put it, the next decision on Reijnders’ career will not take long.
