One of the few bright spots from last night’s game between AC Milan and Roma was Tijjani Reijnders getting his name on the scoreboard again.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport recall, last night – like in Verona last week – Youssouf Fofana supplied for Reijnders to convert and open the scoring. Unlike the game before Christmas, though, it wasn’t enough for three points this time.
Reijnders is now on nine goals for the season making him Milan’s top scorer. His brace against Club Brugge on October 22 in the Champions League started it all, and now he is already experiencing his best goal scoring season.
In less than 70 days Reijnders has flourished despite the team’s difficulties, moving from being in a two-man midfield with Fofana to the attacking midfielder role. Without Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic Milan lost some creativity and threat, which the Dutchman came forward to fix.
It is no coincidence that Reijnders’ exponential growth coincided with the arrival of Fofana as a partner. The Frenchman arrived as a midfielder to protect and provide balance, but he immediately made things clear: “I am a modern midfielder, I can also do the attacking phase well.”
He was right. With yesterday’s assist, he has already provided six assists this season, three to Leao and three to his friend ‘Tiji”‘ The three are the basis on which the future Milan will focus, regardless of who is the head coach.
In the meantime, aware of the rapid explosion of his value, Milan were quick to find an agreement to extend Reijnders’ contract. The official announcement will be made only in 2025, but the two parties will extend until 2029 with an option for an additional year and a pay rise to ward off Real Madrid.
If management isn’t, careful with their piss-management of the season and the team, the squad could be out of Europe next season and all of Milan’s top talent (including Reijnders who can arguably be one of the best MF in Europe at the moment) will abandon ship in pursuit of more ambitious clubs.
Reijnders plays with joy and is not greedy about $.
He’s the bright spot in all the gloom and doom.
Reijnders has always been a next level player. Even last season when many questioned his quality over a low score count.
Hope he gets some help and the team reinforces around its core players.
I feel so bad for him. Having an insane season and yet we’re not able to give him a team his form and quality deserves