Tijjani Reijnders Shines in Al-Qadsiah Debut
Tijjani Reijnders is wasting no time justifying the price tag.
The Netherlands midfielder, signed by Al-Qadsiah in the summer from Manchester City for a reported 61 million euros, delivered a statement performance in the Saudi Roshn League on Tuesday night, driving his new club past Al-Ahli in Dammam.
A night to announce himself
Under the lights at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium, Reijnders started in the heart of Al-Qadsiah’s midfield and quickly seized control of the occasion.
Fourteen minutes in, he broke it open. Picking up the ball on the edge of the penalty area, he stepped into space and unleashed a fierce strike that ripped past Édouard Mendy, the Al-Ahli and Senegal goalkeeper, with no invitation for a save. It was the sort of goal that silences any early doubts about a marquee signing.
Al-Qadsiah kept pushing, and the pressure told again deep into first-half stoppage time. Three minutes into added time, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat swung in a cross and Reijnders, timing his run perfectly, met it with a firm header for his side’s third of the night. A clean finish, a complete brace, and a clear sign of a midfielder playing with authority.
Those two goals were his second and third for Al-Qadsiah since arriving from Manchester City in the last transfer window, and they underline how quickly he has adapted to the Roshn League.
Outpacing his Manchester City start
The numbers already compare favorably with his early days in England. For Manchester City last season, Reijnders needed four matches to score once, finding the net against Wolverhampton on the opening weekend of the Premier League. In Saudi Arabia, he has accelerated past that pace with a sharper impact and more decisive moments.
His first goal for Al-Qadsiah came in just his second appearance, a composed contribution in a 2-0 win over Neom in the third round of the league. Now, with a brace against one of the division’s heavyweight clubs, his influence is beginning to shape the narrative of Al-Qadsiah’s campaign.
Record signing starting to look the part
Reijnders arrived as the most expensive signing in Al-Qadsiah’s history, a record outlay that inevitably drags expectation into every touch he takes. Performances like this help shift the conversation from cost to value.
Goals from distance, late runs into the box, a willingness to take responsibility in key moments – these are the traits Al-Qadsiah paid for. Six rounds into the Roshn League season, their record signing is already playing like a man intent on leading a project rather than merely decorating it.
If this is how quickly he finds his rhythm in Saudi Arabia, the real question is how far he can push Al-Qadsiah in a league that is watching him very closely.
