Al-Qadsiah pays €50 million for Reijnders, but Europe remains the goal

Tijjani Reijnders, 28, told in an interview with the Algemeen Dagblad about his summer transfer from Manchester City to Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia. He confirmed that the move cost €50 million and that he has already played six official matches since then.

Performance and club position

The midfielder has so far scored three times for Al-Qadsiah, a solid start in the Saudi Pro League. With those results he contributes to the club's fourth place, which has collected 16 points from seven matches.

View on the competition and the future

Reijnders indicated that he rates the level of the Saudi Pro League higher than the Eredivisie, but slightly lower than Serie A, an assessment that he believes will not be popular in the Netherlands. Despite his satisfaction in the country, he says he does not plan to stay there forever and hopes to spend later years on European pitches.

Reijnders opts for Al‑Qadsiah: €100 million in Saudi Arabia

Financial considerations played a major role in his decision; he explained that he wants to be able to provide well for his grandchildren and that such sums cannot be ignored. “We can act the moral knight, but at these amounts you don’t say ‘no’,” Reijnders said.

Sjoed Mossou asked him about the position of women in Saudi Arabia, a topic that Amnesty International still labels as problematic. Reijnders indicated that he himself has had few negative experiences and that he lives in a relatively western compound where many expats and footballers reside.

He concluded that women in Saudi Arabia, in his view, “have quite a lot to say” and that he has a positive impression, although he acknowledges that he cannot see everything. His remarks provide a nuanced perspective on both the football climate and the societal situation in the country.