Nottingham Forest Weigh £55m Move for Tijjani Reijnders
Nottingham Forest are testing the edges of their new financial muscle – and Tijjani Reijnders sits right at the centre of it.
The Premier League club are weighing up a £55 million bid for the Netherlands international, who is open to leaving Manchester City just a year after arriving at the Etihad from AC Milan. City paid for a midfielder in his prime; they have not yet seen one who truly belongs in Guardiola’s best XI.
Reijnders, 28, managed only 19 Premier League starts in his debut campaign. In a squad where competition is ruthless and patience is limited, that number tells its own story. His long-term future in Manchester is now under serious scrutiny, and for the first time since he left Milan, a move feels more like a probability than a possibility.
Forest’s new money, City’s hard line
Forest are in a position they are not used to: cash-rich and being taken seriously in the market. The sale of Elliot Anderson to Manchester City, for a fee that could rise to £116m, has transformed their summer. That deal has given the East Midlands club room to think big, and Reijnders fits the profile of a statement signing – a Champions League-hardened midfielder, schooled in Italy, trusted at international level.
But City are not inclined to do them any favours.
Reports indicate the champions want closer to £60m before they even think about letting Reijnders go. That valuation has already scared off at least one major suitor. Atletico Madrid explored a move earlier in the window, only to step away when they hit City’s asking price.
Forest are now staring at the same number and asking a blunt question: is Reijnders a £55m solution or a £60m risk?
A talent in limbo
The player himself has reached a crossroads. According to reports, Reijnders is open to leaving, driven by the search for regular first-team football after a stop-start first year in England. For a midfielder in his late twenties, another season on the fringes of Guardiola’s side is a luxury he cannot afford.
A move to the City Ground would change that overnight. At Forest, he would not be a rotation option; he would be a centrepiece. The chance to rebuild rhythm, confidence and reputation in a team that needs a leader in midfield is a powerful pull.
Yet the doubts are real. Reijnders struggled to fully adapt to the Premier League’s tempo and physicality in his first season. At 28, he is not a project signing. There is limited resale value, limited time to grow into the league. Forest’s hierarchy must decide whether they are paying for what he was at Milan – or what he might still become in England.
The gap to bridge
Right now, the deal hangs in a narrow space between two numbers. Forest are eyeing a £55m move; City are holding out for around £60m. Somewhere in that £5m gap lies the fate of Reijnders’ next chapter.
Forest do have one clear advantage: the player’s willingness to go. When a footballer of his profile signals he is ready to move on, the dynamics shift. City know they are unlikely to turn him into a regular starter next season. Forest know they can offer him exactly what he wants – minutes, responsibility, a central role.
The question is how far they are prepared to push their newfound wealth. Is Reijnders the flagship signing that justifies a chunk of that Anderson windfall, or the kind of expensive compromise that can stall a project?
As negotiations simmer, the decision now sits with Forest: pay up, walk away, or try to bend City’s stance. One move, one midfielder, and a fee edging towards £60m – it could define the tone of Forest’s entire season.
