Tijjani Reijnders has made it clear that he does not intend to take Kevin De Bruyne’s place at Manchester City, even though he considers the Belgian midfielder one of his heroes.
Reijnders recently signed with City for £46.5 million ($63.07m) from Milan, just as De Bruyne has finished his decade-long time at the club to join Napoli.
The Dutch player mentioned that he has taken inspiration from De Bruyne and also from former Barcelona and Spain star Andres Iniesta when developing his skills.
However, he emphasized that he wants to be his own player at the Etihad Stadium.
“I’m not here to replace him [De Bruyne],” Reijnders stated during training at City’s Club World Cup base in Florida.
“I need to play my own style. However, I learn from different players and what they do best, then adapt those skills. For example, with Kevin De Bruyne, I noticed how he scanned the field and made great passes.”
De Bruyne thrived under Pep Guardiola and was honored twice as the best player in the Premier League.
Reijnders joins City after being named the top midfielder in Serie A, and at 26 years old, he hopes to reach new heights with his new coach.
“That’s a big deal, of course—having the best coach in the world,” he said. “I’m very excited to learn new things here and adapt to a different style of play. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Like Reijnders, left-back Rayan Aït-Nouri has also joined City just in time for the Club World Cup. The 24-year-old, who transferred from Wolves, might make his debut in their first match against Moroccan team Wydad AC in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
“This is a big step for me,” he said. “It’s a big step for my career. I’ve been in the Premier League for five years now. The league is really tough with many great teams. But I know this step up is significant, and I will do my best.”
