Tijjani Reijnders ‘really excited’ to link up with Man City for Club World Cup

 Tijjani Reijnders “could not wait” to undergo his medical with Manchester City and expects to be in their squad for the Club World Cup.

The 26-year-old Netherlands midfielder has agreed a five-year contract to move to City from AC Milan for 55million euros (approximately £46million) and told Italian media he had spent Sunday conducting a medical with Pep Guardiola’s side.

City will play their first match of the Club World Cup against Morocco’s Wydad AC on June 18 and the arrival of Reijnders could also impact the future of Jack Grealish at the Etihad.

Reijnders told Gazzetta: “The medical? I couldn’t wait to do it. The plan is to take part at the Club World Cup with City. I’m really excited about that.

“Doing that means I’ll get to know my new team-mates sooner.”

Reijnders was a bright spark in a disappointing season for Milan, who only finished eighth in Serie A, missing out on qualification for Europe.

Reijnders, who joined the Italian giants from AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2023, scored 15 goals in 2024-25 and will bolster Guardiola’s midfield options following the departure of Kevin De Bruyne.

As first reported by the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, England international Grealish looks set to miss out on City’s final 35-man squad for the Club World Cup.

The 29-year-old was not summoned from the bench in last month’s FA Cup final defeat by Crystal Palace and omitted from the squad for the last game of the season at Fulham altogether.

Source: https://onefootball.com/en/news/tijjani-reijnders-really-excited-to-link-up-with-man-city-for-club-world-cup-41221371

Manchester City and Wolves close to Ait-Nouri agreement

 

Manchester City and Wolves expect to reach an agreement for the transfer of Rayan Ait-Nouri.

The Algerian has emerged as Manchester City’s top target to strengthen at left-back with negotiations ongoing between the Premier League sides. Ait-Nouri has just 12 months to run on his contract and Wolves will reluctantly sanction his sale this summer.

The 23-year-old has made 157 appearances for Wolves since joining the club on an initial loan deal from Angers in 2020.

Last season, he scored four goals and provided seven assists in the Premier League for Vitor Pereira’s team. No defender was directly involved in more Premier League goals. Ait-Nouri has featured predominantly at wing-back for Wolves, but has experience as a more orthodox full-back and on the left side of a back three.

Manchester City have prioritised the signing of a new left-back with Josko Gvardiol earmarked for a more central role next season. Nico O’Reilly deputised over the run-in but Guardiola has insisted the academy graduate’s long-term future is in midfield.

The Citizens hope to wrap up the transfer of Ait-Nouri before beginning their Club World Cup campaign. City start the tournament against Morocco’s Wydad AC on June 18th. The Athletic are reporting that both City and Wolves expect an agreement to be reached, following productive talks.

Ait-Nouri is set to become Wolves’ second high-profile sale of the summer. On Sunday, it was announced that Manchester United had signed Matheus Cunha from Wolves in a deal worth £62.5m, subject to visa and registration.

Source: https://onefootball.com/en/news/manchester-city-and-wolves-close-to-ait-nouri-agreement-41193852

HOW PEP GUARDIOLA BORROWED FROM JURGEN KLOPP TO ELEVATE MANCHESTER CITY

 In 2021, Pep Guardiola was reflecting on an epic managerial rivalry that then only lasted a mere eight years. “He made me a better manager,” he said of Jurgen Klopp. When he registered his greatest achievement since leaving Barcelona, it owed something to Klopp, too.

In swift succession, his captain lifted the Premier League, the FA Cup and then the Champions League. A decade after scoring for Klopp in a Champions League final at Wembley, Ilkay Gundogan struck twice for Guardiola in an FA Cup final at Wembley. Gundogan felt like a footballing soulmate of Guardiola – as well as a neighbour in the same deluxe Manchester apartment block – but a diplomat had links in each camp: Klopp often texted his former midfielder congratulations when Manchester City won something, just as he got in touch when Liverpool drew Guardiola’s team in the Champions League in 2018.

Gundogan is gone now – to Guardiola’s old club and spiritual home, Barcelona – but he remains an example of how the Catalan has been influenced by the manager who has beaten him most often. As Guardiola’s haul from the seasons when they have faced each other stands at five Premier League titles and two Bundesligas, Klopp is likelier to defeat him over 90 minutes than nine months. That Guardiola has always tended to have greater resources is a factor: a mantra of Klopp’s is that he has never wanted to be the best team in the world as much as beat the best. And, with great regularity, that is how he describes City.

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Source : https://onefootball.com/en/news/how-pep-guardiola-borrowed-from-jurgen-klopp-to-elevate-manchester-city-38611211