Manchester City have made AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders a serious summer target as they plan the rebuilding of Pep Guardiola’s squad.
Reijnders, 26, is a traditional No 8 who has also effectively deployed as a defensive midfielder and is seen at the Etihad Stadium as a player who would bolster the central areas for City.
Milan are braced for an offer for Reijnders when the transfer window opens and value the Netherlands international much higher than the £55 million paid that Newcastle United paid for Sandro Tonali. There is an expectation Reijnders would break the club record departure of Kaka to Real Madrid for £57 million.
City have been assessing options in the summer market as they look to bounce back from their campaign, during which they suffered a disastrous run of defeats and are yet to secure Champions League qualification.
Guardiola has admitted he needs to expand his squad, specifically to work with players who can remain fit enough to play twice a week after a campaign of injury issues. Reijnders has started regularly at the San Siro over the two years since arriving from AZ in his homeland, playing in the Champions League in both campaigns.
City will be actively looking for midfield additions after focusing on defenders and a striker in the January window, when they brought some of their summer plans forward.
Kevin De Bruyne is a confirmed departure and while Rodri may be coming back from his serious injury, Ilkay Gundogan will turn 35 next season and support will be targeted for Mateo Kovacic and Nico González.
Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White has admirers at City and can operate in several positions. But Reijnders is firmly in the same category and signing more than one midfielder is a possibility.
Germany forward Florian Wirtz is more of a No 10, in De Bruyne’s creative position, but his future at Bayer Leverkusen is far from certain with Bayern Munich also in for the 22-year-old. Wirtz is represented by family members and there are believed to be different views on where he should play next season.
