New Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reinders has played down comparisons to Kevin De Bruyne, insisting that he wants to carve out his own legacy with the Cityzens.
Instead of opting for a direct De Bruyne replacement this summer, City have decided to rejuvenate their engine room via several fresh faces. They’ve added playmaker Rayan Cherki from Lyon and Reijnders from Milan, with the latter joining in a £46.5 million ($62.7 million) deal.
Both players have been included in Pep Guardiola’s squad for the Club World Cup out in the United States, so City supporters will soon see their shiny new toys in action.
Reijnders joins the club off the back of an impressive individual season with an underperforming Milan team. The Dutch international recorded 20 goal contributions in 54 appearances for the Rossoneri and was named as Serie A’s best midfielder.
While many have suggested that the 26-year-old now has the unenviable task of replacing perhaps Man City’s greatest-ever player, Reijnders has insisted that he’ll aim to be his own man at the Etihad.
“I’m not here to replace him [De Bruyne],” he said at City’s Club World Cup training base in Florida (via ESPN).
“I have to play my own game. But I take things from different players and what they can do really well and try to adapt that. With Kevin De Bruyne, [it was] how he was scanning the pitch, the passes he gave.”
In truth, Reijnders boasts a greater resemblance to Ilkay Gündoğan stylistically compared to De Bruyne, with the Dutchman describing himself as a “box-to-box midfielder.”
“I am a box-to-box midfielder who likes to bring the ball and be part of the construction of the game,” Reijnders said. “As well as connecting defence and attack and trying to make assists and goals.”
City’s newest star is a do-it-all operator who’s bound to thrive under Pep Guardiola. Being able to work under the Spaniard was crucial in Reijnders‘ decision to switch Milan for Manchester, as he said: “I am very eager to learn new things here and style of playing and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
READ THE LATEST MAN CITY NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tijjani Reijnders Hits Back at Early Man City Expectations.
