Tijjani Reijnders has admitted the money on offer in Saudi Arabia was a major reason for his decision to leave Man City after just one season.
The Netherlands midfielder joined Al Qadsiah in August for a reported £52m, 14 months after arriving at the Etihad from AC Milan. He made 50 appearances for City and scored seven goals.
Reijnders opens up on Man City exit
Reijnders has now been unusually open about what attracted him to the move. “Once my playing career is over, I don’t want to have to work anymore.”
He acknowledged that completing his contract at City would already have left him financially secure, but said the deal with Al Qadsiah could provide for future generations of his family.
Reijnders said he could now make sure even his grandchildren were financially secure, adding: “Why wouldn’t I do it?” There was more to his departure from City than money.
Reijnders has also said he was not happy with the role he had been given in Manchester. He preferred playing as a number eight but found himself being used further forward, while interest from elsewhere in Europe failed to produce an agreement with City.
Al Qadsiah were prepared to pay the required fee, and Reijnders signed a five-year contract. It brought a quick end to his time at the Etihad. Reijnders had helped City win the FA Cup and Carabao Cup in his only season in England, but by the summer the club were reshaping their midfield under Enzo Maresca.
Reijnders could hardly be accused of hiding one of the main attractions of what came next.
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