Former Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has made no attempt to disguise the financial reasoning behind his move to Saudi Arabia, saying his priority is to ensure that he and future generations of his family will not need to work after his playing career ends.
The Netherlands international left Milan for Manchester City in the summer of 2025 before joining Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah. At 28, Reijnders has signed a five-year contract reported to be worth €20 million per season.
Reijnders speaks openly about Saudi move
Reijnders said money was a central factor in his decision, arguing that there was little point in pretending otherwise.
“Once my career is over, I do not want to have to work again,” he said. “Money was an important part of it. I should not have needed to work after City either, but now I can help the next generations of my family as well.
“There is no need to lie. I think most people had already worked that out. If my grandchildren can live from what I earn, why would I not do it?”
A new stage after Milan
His career path has taken him rapidly from Serie A to the Premier League and now to the Saudi league. Milan had been an important stage in Reijnders’ rise, establishing him as a midfielder capable of operating at the highest level and earning a regular place in the Dutch national side.
The move to Al Qadsiah does not, however, necessarily close the door on a future return to European football. Reijnders said he remains open to that possibility, while defending the choice he has made at this stage of his career.
“Everyone can take the morally superior position and say, ‘I would never do that,’” he said. “But I am almost certain that most people would accept it.”
For Reijnders, the decision is presented not as a retreat from ambition but as a calculation about security, family and the long life that follows a football career.
