Man City begin talks for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders | OneFootball

Manchester City have contacted AC Milan to register their interest in Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders.

Talks remain in the early stages and no formal bid has been submitted, but City are expected to revisit negotiations after Milan’s Coppa Italia final against Bologna on Wednesday.

Reijnders is a key midfield target as City prepare for significant changes in the summer window.

The 26-year-old is being considered independently of other midfield options, including Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz and Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White.

Reijnders joined Milan from AZ Alkmaar in 2023 and has quickly become a key figure under former Porto boss Sergio Conceicao.

He has featured in 51 matches across all competitions this season, scoring 10 goals and providing five assists.

He helped Milan win the Supercoppa Italiana in January and could lift a second trophy this week.

Earlier this year, he signed a new contract running until 2030, but Milan are preparing for a formal approach from City once the domestic season concludes.

The Italian club are understood to value Reijnders at a premium and sources suggest a fee could exceed the £57 million they received for Kaka in 2009.

That figure would also be significantly higher than the £55 million Newcastle United paid Milan for Sandro Tonali last summer.

Reijnders, capped 22 times by the Netherlands since his debut in 2023, was part of the national team that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2024 before losing to England.

City’s interest in strengthening the midfield follows a season disrupted by injuries and inconsistency.

Ballon d’Or winner Rodri missed a large chunk of the campaign with an ACL injury, while Kevin De Bruyne is set to leave at the end of the season.

Bernardo Silva’s future is also uncertain amid reports of interest from abroad.

City signed Nico Gonzalez from Porto in January but are expected to make further additions to their midfield core.

Manager Pep Guardiola has publicly stressed the need for a deeper, more durable squad after a campaign where several key players struggled for fitness.

New sporting director Hugo Viana, who officially began his role in April, is leading the club’s transfer strategy and overseeing negotiations.

City are expected to be active in the window as they attempt to lower their wage bill and reshape the squad for another title challenge.