Nottingham Forest Eye Tijjani Reijnders as £55 Million Target

Nottingham Forest are testing Manchester City’s resolve over Tijjani Reijnders, with the Midlands club weighing up a bold late-window move for the midfielder.

The Premier League side are considering an offer in the region of £55 million for the Netherlands international, who arrived at the Etihad only last summer after a standout spell with AC Milan. City paid for his pedigree and potential. They have not yet seen the full return.

A year that never truly caught fire

Reijnders’ first season in England never quite ignited. Trusted at times but never truly central to Pep Guardiola’s plans, he managed just 19 Premier League starts in his debut campaign. For a 28-year-old in his supposed prime, that is a role on the fringes, not at the heart of a title-chasing side.

The outcome is predictable: his long-term future at City now looks uncertain. According to reports, Reijnders is open to leaving Manchester in search of the one thing he has lacked most since crossing from Serie A – guaranteed, regular football.

Forest sense an opportunity.

Forest armed with cash – and a decision to make

The City Ground hierarchy are showing serious interest in a deal that could reach £55m. They know, though, that Manchester City are in no rush to sell on the cheap. The champions are understood to be holding out for closer to £60m, a figure that has already shaped this window for Reijnders.

Atletico Madrid explored a move earlier in the summer, only to walk away when City’s valuation refused to budge. The price tag has been a barrier before. It may yet be again.

Forest, however, are in a different financial position to many of their rivals. The sale of Elliot Anderson to Manchester City, for a fee that could rise to around £116m, has transformed their summer budget. That windfall gives them the muscle to sit at the top table of this market, at least for now.

The question is not whether Forest can pay. It is whether they should.

Risk, reward and a narrowing window

Reijnders is an established international and, at his best, a smooth, progressive presence in midfield. But his first year in the Premier League was a struggle, and at 28 he is not a long-term project or a resale play. Any club paying close to £60m will want immediate impact and several seasons of high-level performance.

Forest’s recruitment team must decide if he is that player for them. The fee would represent a huge chunk of their newfound capital and a clear statement about where they see themselves in the league’s hierarchy.

City, for their part, can afford to be patient. They know Forest’s interest is strong. They know the player wants minutes. The leverage is shared, and the gap between £55m and £60m has become the battleground.

Player willing, clubs circling

Reijnders’ stance could tilt the scales. His openness to a move gives Forest a cleaner run at the deal than Atletico Madrid had earlier in the window. A switch to the City Ground would almost certainly bring the starting role he craves and a chance to rebuild his reputation in the same league that has exposed his flaws.

Forest now stand at the point where intent must become action. Do they push towards City’s £60m line, or walk away from a midfielder whose ceiling they still have to fully trust?

The clock is ticking on the window. How far Forest are prepared to go for the former AC Milan man will say a great deal about the club they intend to be this season.