Enzo Maresca on Tijani Reijnders' Future: A Tough Decision Ahead

Enzo Maresca admits he is fighting a losing battle over Tijani Reijnders’ future – and accepts that sometimes a manager’s persuasion is not enough.

The Manchester City boss was asked whether Reijnders’ situation mirrors that of Omar Marmoush and James Trafford, whose limited roles last season shaped their paths this year. Maresca didn’t dodge it.

“Probably, yes,” he said. “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 theme is clear: players want minutes, not promises.

Pressed on whether he has managed to convince Reijnders to stay, Maresca cut straight to the heart of the problem.

"It's a bit difficult to convince players when they are already convinced, it's not always easy. 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 says plenty about where this is heading. When all three parties align, the exit door usually opens.

Maresca, though, made it clear this is not a player he is eager to lose. He has watched Reijnders closely, both at City in pre-season and previously at Milan, and had a clear idea of how he wanted to use him.

"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, we try to...

"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 coach who knows the player, a role mapped out, performances that pleased him – yet a decision that may still go against him.

For Maresca, this is the modern reality at an elite club: talent everywhere, patience in short supply, and a midfielder who prefers to dictate from deep now weighing up whether that stage will be in Manchester or somewhere else.