Juventus Explore Tijjani Reijnders as Kessié Talks Stall
Juventus have opened a channel to Manchester City for Tijjani Reijnders, moving quickly to line up an alternative as their pursuit of Franck Kessié drags on without a final agreement.
According to reports in Italy, the Turin club have held initial, exploratory conversations on two fronts: with Reijnders’ camp, to understand how open the Dutch midfielder is to joining Luciano Spalletti’s project, and with City, to test the waters over a possible loan deal. At this stage there is no formal negotiation on the table, but the dialogue is alive and expected to continue in the coming days.
A new name for a crowded midfield
Reijnders’ emergence on Juventus’s radar underlines a clear intention in Turin: refresh and raise the level of a midfield Spalletti considers central to his rebuild.
The Netherlands international, another former Milan player, only arrived at the Etihad last year in a deal worth around €55m. He started brightly in England but is now understood to have slipped down the pecking order at Manchester City, a shift that has encouraged Juventus to probe the situation and see whether an opportunity might be opening up.
His profile fits the brief. Technically polished, comfortable in tight spaces, and with Serie A experience already banked from his spell at Milan, Reijnders offers a different kind of solution to the physical, box-to-box presence of Kessié. That contrast has not stopped his candidacy from gaining momentum in Turin, especially as the Kessié move remains unresolved.
Kessié growing impatient
Kessié, a free agent since 30 June after the end of his latest contract, has edged closer to an agreement with Juventus in recent days. The outlines of a deal are there, but not the signature.
Time, though, is becoming a factor. The former Milan midfielder is not prepared to wait indefinitely and has made it clear he wants clarity on his future as soon as possible. Every day without a definitive yes from either side opens the door a little wider for alternatives, and Reijnders is currently the most prominent of those.
One in, one out?
There is another hard reality shaping Juventus’s strategy: numbers. Spalletti’s midfield is already congested, with eight players currently on the books. Before any new arrival can walk through the door, at least one – and likely more – will have to leave.
That logjam complicates the timing of any move, whether for Kessié on a free or Reijnders on loan. Juventus must sell or move players on before they can act decisively, while both targets weigh their options and watch the clock.
For now, Reijnders is no more than a serious idea and an open line to Manchester. How quickly Juventus can clear space in the middle of the pitch may decide whether that idea turns into a deal – and whether Spalletti’s new-look midfield is built around Kessié’s power or Reijnders’ poise.
