Hjulmand wasn't the only option: "Atlético Madrid pulled out"

Tijani Reijnders' move to Al Qadisiah in Saudi Arabia has been clarified by his father, Martin Reijnders. Speaking to the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, he revealed that despite interest from several clubs, the transfer became virtually the only viable option.

Manchester City demanded around €60 million for the player's services, a price tag that deterred European suitors such as Atlético Madrid, Juventus, Galatasaray, Newcastle, and Nottingham Forest. Ultimately, Al Qadisiah was the only club willing to meet the English side's financial demands.

"We understand this raises questions. But Tijjani couldn't just go anywhere," the player's father stated. "Manchester City asked for a transfer fee that no one in Europe could or wanted to pay. As a result, he's playing here."

Martin Reijnders clarified that the decision wasn't purely financial. Money became a decisive factor only when options narrowed down to two: remain at Manchester City, unhappy in a new number 10 role and risking more time on the bench, or become an undisputed starter at Al Qadisiah in a preferred position.

A move to the Middle East was far from the initial plan. "The first two times, we immediately said 'no' to Al Qadisiah. Tijjani wasn't thinking about going to the Middle East," he recounted. "We still had hope for Atlético, but they definitively pulled out, and Al Qadisiah came back. They made a presentation via video call, and after that, we went to visit. They want to become the biggest and best club in Asia," he explained, noting that the Colchoneros ultimately signed Morten Hjulmand, former Sporting captain, for €40 million, not €60 million.

Despite acknowledging that the competitive level is lower than the Premier League, both father and son believe the Saudi league is no longer a "Mickey Mouse league." Regarding the financial aspect, Martin Reijnders was pragmatic: "It's a gigantic amount of money, truly unbelievable [€100 million over 5 years]. Of course, that carries weight; we don't need to be hypocritical about it..."

As for the Netherlands national team, Reijnders isn't concerned about being overlooked, unlike what might have happened with Ronald Koeman, and there was no contact with the Federation. "No, we just know what the scenario was at the last World Cup: after the Premier League, the Saudi league provided the most players for the World Cup. In national teams like France, Mexico, Morocco, and Senegal, they were also starters," his father explained, though the future with Xavi as national coach remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, Tijjani Reijnders has already started making his mark at his new club, scoring his first goal last Monday in the league match against Neom SC.