Former Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has brazenly admitted that his decision to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah during the summer transfer window was motivated purely by the vast financial benefits on offer in the Middle East.
The 28-year-old Netherlands international completed a £52 million transfer to the Saudi Pro League side after spending just a single season at English Premier League champions Manchester City. Under the terms of his five-year contract with Al-Qadsiah, Reijnders is reportedly set to earn around £86 million over the course of his half-decade stay.
Speaking one month into his career in the Gulf state, the midfielder candidly revealed that his primary motivation was ensuring he will never need to work again once he retires from professional football.
"Once my playing career is over, I don’t want to have to work anymore," Reijnders said. "Of course, I probably wouldn’t have needed to work anymore after my contract at Manchester City either, but this move allows me to secure the future of the next generations of my family."
Reijnders, who currently has one son named Xavien with his wife Marina, admitted he was unwilling to hide the truth about his motivation for moving.
"I’m not going to lie about that," he added. "By signing this contract, I can make sure even my grandchildren are financially secure, so why wouldn’t I do it?"
Shift in narrative since joining Al-Qadsiah
The Dutch midfielder's recent honesty stands in sharp contrast to his comments when he first completed his move to Al-Qadsiah in August, when he focused entirely on footballing ambition rather than the lucrative financial package.
Speaking about what attracted him to the club at the time of his signing, Reijnders made no mention of the massive contract awaiting him.
"Especially the ambition of the club is what attracted me," he said in August. "The club wants to be the biggest in Asia and what they did already in the past and what we can do now in the future, it triggered me a lot. And, yeah, I want to help the club to bring it to the highest level."
He also outlined his target of helping Al-Qadsiah compete across multiple competitions in their pursuit of silverware.
"I came here to try and win trophies with my teammates, we're playing for four trophies, if I'm right," Reijnders explained. "We want to win as many as possible and we are all very eager to do that. And, personally, I hope I can help the team as much as possible with goals and assists."
Short Etihad stint and life in Saudi Arabia
Reijnders had originally joined Manchester City from Italian Serie A club AC Milan in a £46.5 million transfer. Despite making a hugely impressive debut at the Etihad Stadium, he struggled to build consistent momentum across his 50 appearances for the club, leading to his summer departure after just one season.
Life in Saudi Arabia has started productively on the pitch for the midfielder. Playing under former Leicester City and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, Reijnders has scored three goals in five Saudi Pro League outings for Al-Qadsiah, who are also competing in the AFC Champions League.
Al-Qadsiah is owned by the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, the majority state-owned petroleum and natural gas firm. While the club does not possess as many high-profile names as some of their Middle Eastern rivals, their squad features respected players from European football, including former Spain and Italy defender Nacho Fernandez and Italy striker Mario Retegui.
The team currently occupies fourth place in the Saudi Pro League standings, the exact position where they finished in each of the last two seasons. On the international stage, Reijnders remains a key figure for the Netherlands, having featured in three matches at the World Cup.
