Revealed: How Sheffield United missed out on transfer agreement for 22-cap star, now making £46 million move to Manchester City.
Tijjani Reijnders is on the verge of moving to England after Manchester City and AC Milan agreed to a £46 million deal – but if the Dutch midfielder’s career had gone a slightly different road, he could have played in the Premier League much sooner with Sheffield United. The Milan player will sign a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.
The €55 million contract includes further clause payments and is still subject to a physical, but City hopes to sign the 26-year-old by the start of the Club World Cup on June 14. Reijnders joined Milan in the summer of 2023 from AZ Alkmaar, where his performances piqued the interest of the Blades’ recruitment team.
For the first time, it has been revealed how close the Blades were to signing the Netherlands international in a cut-price move that might have netted United a large sum of transfer money if the player’s career had followed the same path.
According to the Star, a representative from United’s recruitment team flew to Holland to see Reijnders, his wife, and his agent during an AZ game in the 2022/23 season, when Paul Heckingbottom was in charge at Bramall Lane. Reijnders was keen to make the move to England, and United needed reinforcements when Reda Khadra’s loan stay from Brighton & Hove Albion was cut short.
However, the Blades were placed under a transfer embargo due to non-payment of cash for prior deals, including Rhian Brewster’s transfer from Liverpool, and were unable to complete the transaction.
At the time, Reijnders had yet to make his international debut and was nearing the end of his contract with AZ. Eighteen months later, he moved to Milan and was a major hit with the Rossoneri, as well as helping his country reach the semi-finals of the 2024 European Championship, which put him on City’s radar.
How Sheffield United came close to landing a £46 million player who is now headed to Manchester City. United won promotion to the Premier League despite being a man short after Khadra’s return and unable to strengthen due to the embargo, but were hampered on the eve of their return when Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge, two key players in the final years of their respective contracts, were sold.
Stefano Fiore, a former Italy international, recently named Reijnders as the player that reminded him most of himself in the Italian top flight. “He’s very technical, can do many things,” stated the former Lazio, Valencia, and Fiorentina player. “And today he’s the most complete midfielder in Serie A.”
Every club in the country has a “what-if?” story about unsuccessful moves, the most notable of which is United’s botched attempt to lure Diego Maradona to Bramall Lane before he erupted to superstardom.
Reijnders may not be in the same league as the Argentine, but those engaged in the potential deal to sign him for United may be reflecting on his career trajectory since his big-money move to the Premier League with a sense of what could have been.
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