Tijjani Reijnders has potentially been the stand-out performer for AC Milan this season, but his role has changed under the new coach Sergio Conceicao.
As Calciomercato.com recall, his crowning moment might have been the performance at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League against Real Madrid, a game in which he scored the third goal and completed 51 completed passes out of 52.
Reijnders is someone who plays with a smile on his face and enjoys the game of football, but what helps is the fact he has scored 11 goals and added three assists in 35 appearances across all competitions this season.
Since Conceicao arrived, the Dutchman has become less clinical in front of goal, but he has gotten there more frequently. In fact, the shots taken have risen from 1.87 per 90 under Paulo Fonseca to 2.40 with the new boss.
Now that Joao Felix is also in the squad, who by his own admission asked Conceicao for guarantees that he would play as an attacking midfielder, Reijnders has been moved backwards to play alongside Youssouf Fofana.
He can perform this role but it is certainly more restrictive. He is allowed fewer attacking forays and is likely to score fewer goals. For the Dutchman it’s not a problem, he’s not someone who likes to raise a fuss, but there are question marks about if it may harm the team.
Conceicao has had little time to work and he aims to find a balance between now and the end of the season. Milan meanwhile are ready to renew Reijnders’ contract at €3.5m net per season plus bonuses.
It is undeniable that he is wanted by top clubs, including Manchester City and Real Madrid. If a huge offer were to arrive – perhaps over €60m – also considering the club’s firm desire to focus on Joao Felix in the future, would it definitely be rejected? At present, it is hard to know.
