Manchester City interest in AC Milan star sparks ‘panic’ inside Serie A club | OneFootball

Premier League champions Manchester City are reportedly ‘in the picture’ to sign AC Milan’s midfield star Tijjani Reijnders having excelled under Paulo Fonseca this season.

The Dutch midfielder has a handful of European clubs on alert after a string of quality showings for the Serie A giants, making 61 appearances since signing from AZ Alkmaar in 2023.

Milan are off to a sluggish start in Serie A, winning just five of their first 10 games in the division to find themselves seventh in the division. Despite that, the play of Reijnders in midfield has been one of the few bright spots.

The 26-year-old is currently in contract talks with Milan, but interest from the likes of FC Barcelona and Manchester City have reportedly sparked ‘panic’ inside the San Siro over the prospect of losing one of their key contributors, according to Corriere dello Sport.

While he is under contract in Milan until the summer of 2028, the club are reportedly keen to extend his deal by a year and increase his salary as a reward for good performances, but there is worry inside the club that his head could be turn from interest from around Europe.

Back in Manchester, Pep Guardiola’s side have hit a slump as of late, losing 4-1 in Lisbon to Sporting in the Champions League earlier in the week – their third defeat in as many games. Midfield struggles have played a major role in the Premier League champions’ losing streak.

Should they go out into the January transfer market to try and strengthen in the middle of the park, Reijnders could certainly be in the running to provide the fresh legs, but a deal would not come cheap.

While reports are suggesting that the Etihad hierarchy are certainly keeping their eye on the Milan man, separate information out of Italy has revealed that the links could be leverage from Reijnders’ camp to speed up transfer the ongoing negotiations.

After the defeat in Lisbon, City will have to quickly turn their attention back to domestic action, as they square off with Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday evening. The Etihad Stadium club will head into the weekend two points shy of league leaders Liverpool.