Maresca on Reijnders: Manchester City May Face Tough Decision
Enzo Maresca admits Manchester City may be powerless to change Tijani Reijnders’ mind if the midfielder has already decided his future lies elsewhere.
Speaking about the Dutchman’s situation, the City manager drew a clear line between players’ ambitions and the club’s plans, accepting that last season’s limited minutes have inevitably shaped this summer.
“Probably, yes,” Maresca said when asked if Reijnders’ case mirrors that of Omar Marmoush and James Trafford, whose frustrations over game time also carried into this campaign. “They all work every day, they do sessions every day and at the end of the week they all want to play a game. When they don't play, they struggle to understand or see the reason why. I can understand that after one season, some of them would like to play a little bit more. It's a normal situation.”
The tension is obvious: a squad stacked with quality, and players who no longer want to wait.
Maresca did not hide how hard it is to reverse a player’s thinking once a decision has formed.
“It's a bit difficult to convince players when they are already convinced, it's not always easy,” he admitted. “It's Tijani's situation. I think when the club, players, manager, they all think in the same way, that is probably the best decision for a player to go? They go.”
That line felt telling. If alignment is reached, City will not stand in his way.
Yet this is not a manager pushing a player out. Far from it. Maresca spoke with clear appreciation for what Reijnders has shown in recent weeks and how he imagined using him if he stayed.
“Tij is not officially done, but we'll see in the next hour,” he said, underlining how live the situation remains. “I already spoke with him a few times in pre-season, then we will see if he is going to leave or if he is going to stay.”
What he has seen on the pitch has impressed him.
“In the way he was playing in the pre-season games, I was quite happy with his performance overall. I know Tij from Italy, from Milan when he was there so I know him quite well. I know there he was playing in a different position, he likes to play a little more deep rather than high up the pitch, but again in the pre-season he was good, then we'll see what happens and we'll decide.”
A manager who knows the player, a player who prefers to sit deeper and dictate, and a club waiting on a final call.
For Reijnders and City, the next few hours will decide whether that understanding turns into a new role in Manchester – or a clean break.
