An American arrived as a gamble: those who had bet on him in previous years, like Chelsea, had not cashed in. On the contrary—when Christian Pulisic was still a promising talent at Dortmund, the English club invested over 64 million euros in him. That was the summer of 2019. Four years later, he moved to Milan for less than a third of that amount.
Then came a Dutchman well known to the public in Alkmaar and AZ fans, but not necessarily to all Dutch football enthusiasts. Tijjani Reijnders only wore the national team jersey for the first time in September 2023, as a Milan player. Back then, he was a newcomer even for the Oranje; today, he is a key figure.
Pulisic and Reijnders are Milan’s new-old guard: both have been in Milan for almost two years and are set to stay even longer. The Milan that once belonged to Tomori, Theo, and Leão no longer exists. The driving forces now are Christian and Tijji—not just for their goals and assists (which deserve a separate discussion) but for their leadership.
Pulisic was a quiet talent, who mainly stood out in the easier matches: in his first season with Milan, he scored only one goal in the Champions League but an impressive 12 in Serie A (his personal best across all competitions). His goals came against Genoa, Frosinone, Sassuolo, Monza, Empoli, Verona, Lecce, and Cagliari—essentially teams from the lower half of the table.
This season, he has already netted four goals in Europe’s elite competition and nine in the league (records are made to be broken…). He has scored against Inter and Fiorentina and stepped up when the team risked losing its way completely. A comeback brace against Lecce and an equalizer two days ago paved the way for Reijnders’ winning goal. With six assists added to his tally, he has become the midfielder involved in the most goals in Serie A this season: 15 in total.
Reijnders’ Market Value
Now onto Tijji—his evolution at Milan is even more striking. In his first season, he scored no goals in the Champions League and three in Serie A. This year, he has tripled those numbers: three goals in the Champions League (two against Bruges, one at Real Madrid’s stadium) and nine in the league.
He has been decisive against Monza, Verona, Roma, Parma, Inter, and, just two days ago, Como—goals that have directly contributed to Milan’s position in the standings. If European qualification is still within reach, he deserves much of the credit. Both he and Pulisic now stand at nine goals each, Milan’s top scorers in Serie A—Leão trails by three.
Their market values have also tripled: Pulisic is once again worth 60-65 million euros, the same as four years ago. At Milan, he is set to renew his contract until the summer of 2029, with a salary of 5 million per year—figures befitting a top player, a status he now fully embodies.
Reijnders’ value has skyrocketed even more: Tijjani is not just a goal-scorer and a highly skilled player, but also a box-to-box midfielder, a tireless engine in Milan’s system. That makes him rare and valuable—signed for 20.5 million euros from AZ, he is now estimated to be worth around 75 million. A market exercise, as he is not for sale; in fact, he has just extended his contract with Milan until the summer of 2030, with his salary increased to 3.5 million per season.
Future
Even in a disappointing season, Milan has secured two major positives: the gambles on Pulisic and Reijnders have paid off, both technically and financially. And they can become even more valuable: they are versatile and adaptable, capable of playing in any system and under any future coach.
