Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders isn’t looking to fill Kevin De Bruyne’s shoes—he simply wants to play his own game at Manchester City.
Reijnders recently joined City from AC Milan for £46.5 million, just as De Bruyne left the club after a decade of success to sign with Napoli. Now with the team in the United States preparing for the Club World Cup, Reijnders opened up about his inspirations and his goals in Manchester.
He made it clear he’s not trying to be the next De Bruyne, someone he admires greatly.
“I’m not here to take his (De Bruyne’s) place,” Reijnders said during a training session in Florida.
“I have to play my own game. But I’ve taken a lot from different players, the things they’ve done well, and tried to adapt those to my own game. In Kevin’s case, it’s the way he analyzes the pitch and passes the ball.”
Reijnders also revealed that aside from De Bruyne, he’s been heavily influenced by Spanish legend Andrés Iniesta.
De Bruyne thrived under Pep Guardiola’s coaching, winning the Premier League Player of the Season award twice. Reijnders, who was named the best midfielder in Serie A before his transfer, hopes to take his own game to the next level under Guardiola’s guidance.
“It’s definitely a big thing that he’s the best coach in the world,” Reijnders added.
“I’m very eager to learn new things here, especially the way they play.”
Reijnders isn’t the only recent addition ahead of the Club World Cup. City also signed left-back Rayan Aït-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Algerian defender could make his debut on Wednesday against Wydad in the team’s first match of the tournament.
“It’s a massive step,” Aït-Nouri said.
“It’s a big move in my career. I’ve been in the Premier League for five years—it’s a very tough league with a lot of great teams. But yes, this is definitely a step up, and I’ll try to give my best.”
