Tijjani Reijnders Faces Uncertain Future at City Amid Juventus Interest
Tijjani Reijnders arrived in Manchester with the weight of expectation on his shoulders and a £46 million price tag to match. Plucked from AC Milan as a ready-made Guardiola midfielder, he walked straight into the team, ticking the usual boxes: technical security, tactical intelligence, positional versatility.
For a while, it looked like a smooth transition. Then the minutes began to disappear.
Since February, Reijnders’ trajectory at City has turned sharply. From trusted starter to spectator, the 27-year-old has slipped down Pep Guardiola’s pecking order with a speed that has not gone unnoticed across Europe. He has been an unused substitute in six of his last nine matches and has not played a single Premier League minute since March 14. For a player in his prime, that kind of silence on the pitch is deafening.
The inevitable question has followed: what comes next?
Juventus circle as Reijnders stalls at City
In Italy, the situation has triggered immediate interest. Gazzetta report that Juventus are tracking Reijnders closely, sensing an opportunity in City’s sudden reluctance to use him. The Turin club are reshaping their midfield and searching for a profile that can both elevate their level and fit their tactical structure. On paper, the Dutch international matches that brief.
Juventus’ thinking is clear. They want a midfielder who can step straight into Serie A’s demanding tactical landscape without a long, painful adaptation period. Reijnders has already done that once. At Milan he grew into one of the league’s most effective midfielders, his performances strong enough to convince City to invest heavily and bring him to England.
That Serie A experience now becomes a powerful selling point. He knows the rhythm of the league, the tight spaces, the defensive structures, the scrutiny. For Juventus, it reduces risk at a time when they cannot afford another misstep.
The memory of Douglas Luiz still lingers in Turin. His time at Juventus never truly ignited, and he eventually returned to England after a spell that promised more than it delivered. The club are determined not to repeat that pattern. This time, they want someone who already understands Italian football’s tactical grammar, someone who can plug in rather than learn from scratch.
Reijnders fits that description.
The financial puzzle
There is, however, a problem that refuses to go away: money.
City’s initial outlay of around £46 million sets a high bar. A straightforward purchase would be complicated for Juventus, who are trying to balance squad upgrades with financial stability while planning for significant changes in midfield. The expected departure of Teun Koopmeiners only sharpens the need to get this next move right, both technically and economically.
Juventus know they will have to be creative. An initial loan could spread the risk. A player exchange might lower the cash burden. Staggered payments could help them stay within their financial parameters while still landing a high-level midfielder. Every option is on the table, but none of them are simple when dealing with a club of City’s financial strength.
For now, Juventus are watching and waiting. Monitoring minutes. Reading Guardiola’s team sheets as closely as any scouting report.
Guardiola’s choices will set the tone
The next few weeks in Manchester will carry heavy implications for Turin. If Reijnders forces his way back into Guardiola’s plans, the equation changes. His value hardens, City’s leverage grows, and any Italian move becomes far more complex.
If the current pattern continues, pressure will build from all sides. A 27-year-old international, sidelined at the peak of his career, is not a sustainable scenario. Agents and intermediaries are already sounding out the market, testing the appetite for a summer move, gauging who is ready to step in if City decide his future lies elsewhere.
Juventus are among those listening carefully.
For Reijnders, the situation is stark. Stay and fight for a role that has steadily eroded since February, or embrace a return to a league where he has already proved his worth. For Juventus, the calculation is different but just as sharp: can they turn City’s underused asset into the heartbeat of their new midfield without breaking their financial model?
The answer may hinge on one simple factor: whether Guardiola keeps ignoring a £46 million midfielder when it matters most.
