It seems that Manchester City couldn’t have found a more perfect replacement for Kevin De Bruyne.

Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Tijjani Reijnders in a £46.3million deal from AC Milan.

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Reijnders has put pen to paper on a five-year deal at the Etihad – and has been signed in time to compete in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, which starts this weekend.

Reijnders, who was named after former Ajax winger and Nigeria international Tijani Babangida, will look to fill the gaping hole left in Pep Guardiola’s squad by the departure of De Bruyne, who said an emotional goodbye last month.

He departed Man City as a club legend, scoring 108 goals and assisting 177 more, while also winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League among many other trophies. 

It left many questions over whether there will ever be another player like De Bruyne at the Etihad, or even the Premier League as a whole, again.

But, although the Belgians’ achievements will likely never be replicated, City may well have just found the perfect alternative. 

Reijnders revealed in May that he has actually idolised De Bruyne throughout his career, proving this move was just meant to be. 

Speaking to the Athletic last month, he said: “When I got older, I looked [up] a lot to Kevin De Bruyne. I watched his games, YouTube clips.

“Especially the way he was scanning the pitch before he gets the ball so he always knows where the space is. I try to do the same.”

Reijnders, who joined AC Milan from Feyenoord in 2023, has been a mainstay in the team and reached a new level last season, winning Serie A Midfielder of the Year.

Playing in a variety of midfield roles, the 26-year-old showed off his box-to-box abilities, carrying the ball forward and arriving in the area, with his technical ability shining.

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He scored 15 goals in all competitions, which was actually the most goals scored by a midfielder across Europe’s top-five leagues, sitting ahead of Scott McTominay.

In Serie A, he completed over 87 per cent of his passes throughout the campaign, proving he has an intricate side to his play too. 

The Dutchman was also involved in a huge amount of build-up play for Milan, averaging 2.6 involvements in open-play chances per game, the joint-third most in the AC squad. 

And when looking at City’s dominance on the ball during games and ability to pass the ball, move and link up through deep-lying defences, Reijnders should fit right in.

Ironically, having joined a club known for spending vast sums of money, Reijnders was raised understanding the value of money.

While he was on the books of Zwolle and closing in on his senior debut, he was encouraged by his parents to work in the local supermarket.

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“I think his mum saw a vacancy in the Aldi store and then she asked Tijjani to fill out the form,” Danielle Rijksen, team manager of CSV’28, told the Premier League website.

“His parents said, ‘You have to experience how it is to work for your money. If you do make it as a professional player, you shouldn’t take material things for granted.'”

Far from shying away from his upbringing, Reijnders himself told Dutch NOS in 2023: “Yes, it’s so funny. I recently noticed an article ‘from amateur to AC Milan’. But when I think about it, I like ‘from Aldi to AC Milan’ even better!”

“I was talking to my family about that contrast, and from that we concluded that that time at Aldi has been very good for me. I have seen both sides of the coin.”

His switch to the Premier League could now see him fulfil the prediction of Netherlands and Milan legend Frank Rijkaard. 

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Speaking in November after Milan had beaten Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in the Champions League with Reijnders scoring, the icon spoke of his high hopes. 

Rijkaard said to La Gazzetta dello Sport: “I hope that Reijnders becomes one of the best midfielders in the world…I sincerely believe he’s already on the right path.”

He added: “I really like his style of play. He can cover all roles in the midfield and shows his generosity: he never holds back from a run for the team and always gives his best.

“With the quality he has, he’s excellent at creating dangerous chances for his teammates and setting up the play well.”

So, Reijnders appears to be a jack of all trades, which should fit nicely into Guardiola’s system that will see Rodri welcomed back next campaign. 

With Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic ageing, and De Bruyne gone, Man City are in need of a fresher face to join their midfield ranks. 

Nico Gonzalez should feature more next season, but potentially as second fiddle to Rodri, with Reijnders slotting in further forward. 

Man City may have lost a legend, but they will hope his replacement, who moulds his game around De Bruyne, can write his own story.