Manchester City’s incoming Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has received a message from international teammate Cody Gakpo ahead of his Etihad Stadium move.
The 26-year-old is widely expected to become one of the first arrivals through the doors of Manchester City in a summer of major change for Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad off the back of a challenging season.
With Hugo Viana on the verge of taking up the role of sporting director full-time after the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, the Portuguese official has been hard at work alongside Txiki Begiristain to finalise the club’s transfer plans in the market.
With a new left-back expected to be announced imminently in Wolves’ Rayan Ait-Nouri, and work continuing on a deal for Lyon’s Rayan Cherki to come into the attacking midfield role, Tijjani Reijnders is due to be the main arrival in a more versatile central position.
Manchester City moved swiftly to ensure a deal got across the line involving AC Milan, and it is believed that the two sides agreed upon an initial €55 million fee to get the Dutch international into the new-look set-up.
Speaking during a recent press conference, Liverpool star and Dutch international teammate Cody Gakpo was quizzed by reporters on the quality of Tijjani Reijnders that appears to have secured the player a blockbuster, big-money move to Pep Guardiola side.
“He has already proven it at AC Milan. He can now show it at Manchester City,” the Anfield forward told reporters.
“I definitely think he can do it,” he added. “Just hope he doesn’t do too well *laughs*.”
Reijnders has already spent his first few hours in the North-West of England as he flew into Manchester on Sunday morning to undergo medical testing with City and sign documentation to finalise his transfer from AC Milan.
Having flown in from Helsinki in Finland following the Netherlands’ FIFA World Cup qualifier, Reijnders has now returned to Amsterdam to re-join the international team ahead of their next such fixture against Malta on Tuesday night.
There is not expected to be any time for the midfielder to rest and reflect however, as he is then due to meet his Manchester City teammates for the first time later this week ahead of the start of the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
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