Man City transfer news: Tijjani Reijnders father reveals why five clubs lost out to Al-Qadsiah for Netherlands international

The father of Tijjani Reijnders has revealed that five clubs were attempting to negotiate a deal for the midfielder before he joined Al Qadsiah.

Enzo Maresca has found himself struggling for midfield options this summer, with Reijnders having joined Bernardo Silva in leaving the Etihad Stadium and Nico Gonzalez soon to follow.

Reijnders's sale is essentially helping fund a deal for Lille starlet Ayyoub Bouaddi, while Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez continues to be linked with a reunion with Maresca.

In recouping £52m for the Netherlands international, Man City achieved what they were searching for with regards to an asking price.

However, as per Martin Reijnders, as many as five teams tried and failed to sign his son prior to his transfer to the Saudi Pro League.

Which five clubs tried to sign Reijnders?

Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Galatasaray are all said to have made approaches for the former AC Milan star.

Martin Reijnders told Algemeen Dagblad: "City didn't want to let him go. Both the technical director and the new manager made that clear.

"They said: if you want a transfer, it will only happen for a fee we are happy with. Not a penny less."

He added: "Atletico Madrid was keen but couldn't make the finances work.

“Juventus and Galatasaray only wanted a loan deal. Nottingham Forest couldn't reach an agreement with City, and neither could Newcastle United."

Reijnders accepted "incredible" deal, admits father

Although his father has acknowledged that the 28-year-old has accepted an astronomical offer to move to the Middle East, he insists that the player was not solely motivated by the finances.

Martin Reijnders added: "It’s a massive amount of money; truly incredible. Of course, that plays a role; there’s no need to be hypocritical about it. But not primarily.

"Money only became a factor when it came down to two sporting choices: staying at Manchester City – where you wouldn’t be happy due to a new role as a ‘number 10’ and the risk of frequently sitting on the bench – or playing every match with enjoyment at Al-Qadsiah in a position that suits you well.

“People are entitled to their opinions on that, though it’s easy to talk, 75% of professional footballers would have signed the moment Al-Qadsiah made their first offer."

Reijnders has already made two appearances for Al-Qadsiah, scoring on his second outing in a 2-0 win over NEOM SC.