Manchester City has already contacted national coach Ronald Koeman months ago about Tijjani Reijnders. The national coach gave a positive recommendation about the midfielder of Oranje, who will make the move from AC Milan to the English club for 70 million euros.
“It’s a great step for Tijjani,” Koeman said Friday at a press conference in Helsinki, where Oranje will start the World Cup qualification against Finland on Saturday evening.
“I was already called by City a few months ago,” Koeman continued, who has a good relationship with City coach Josep Guardiola. The two were teammates at FC Barcelona in the nineties. “I mentioned a few more names they had to get,” Koeman joked. “But it remains with Tijjani.”
The transfer of Reijnders is not quite complete yet, but it is a matter of time. Koeman said that the 26-year-old former AZ player will fly to Manchester on Sunday for the medical examination. After that, he will rejoin Oranje in Zeist.
“I think City is a nice next club for Reijnders. He has been patient at AZ and has then gradually and superbly developed. In which position should he play at City? That’s not up to me. But he can play in all positions in midfield.”
Reijnders is not the only Oranje player who is making a transfer to the top of the Premier League. Jeremie Frimpong exchanged Bayer Leverkusen for Liverpool last month, which pays about 40 million euros for him.
“That’s also a great step,” Koeman said. “It’s nice that we will soon have so many internationals in Manchester and Liverpool. That is close together. In two games I can see seven or eight internationals at work.”
Cody Gakpo, who sat next to Koeman at the press conference, was also asked about Frimpong’s transfer. The two will be teammates at Liverpool. “With his speed and qualities, Jeremie is a good addition for us,” said Gakpo.
Incidentally, Gakpo was also recently linked with a transfer. According to foreign media, Bayern Munich is interested in the attacker. “As it looks now, I’ll just stay at Liverpool,” Gakpo responded. “We had a great season and want more. I haven’t heard anything from Bayern.”