Tijjani Reijnders is having a simply outstanding season for AC Milan, and he may begin to think about various records to be broken.
According to Tuttosport (via MilanNews) this morning, Milan will start their planning for 2025-26 by building around two players: Christian Pulisic and Tijjani Reijnders. It is no coincidence that the Dutchman has already extended his contract until 2030, netting a pay rise.
The Rossoneri know well that their excellent performances have attracted the attention of other clubs and for this reason, after the Dutchman, they aim to lock down the American winger very soon with a one-year extension.
Reijnders meanwhile is scoring like a striker. He netted four goals last season across all competitions after signing from AZ Alkmaar, but his tally for the current campaign already stands at 13 goals, and we are only in mid-March.
With his next goal, the 26-year-old will surpass Franck Kessie at the top of the ranking of central midfielders (excluding attacking midfielders) with the most goals in a single season in the history of Milan from 1986 to today, so from the Silvio Berlusconi era onwards.
Kessie scored 13 goals in Serie A during the 2020-21 season but unlike Reijnders he took penalties. The Netherlands international has already passed the likes of Seedorf, Bonaventura, Pirlo, Albertini, Rijkaard, Boban and Donadoni in ters of a single-season high.
He has also overtaken Calhanoglu and Nocerino, who closed the 2019-20 and 2011-12 seasons with 11 goals each. The new Milan cannot therefore must be built around someone like Reijnders.
Saying Kessie was taking penalties unlike Reijnders is an understatement because all of Kessie 13 goals in 20/21 were from penalties.
Not true. He scored 2 goals from open play. Still can’t be compared
Too insane so I had to check. Turns out he did score 13 goals in Serie A and 13 penalty goals that season but two of the penalties were NOT in the Serie A but one in Europa League and one in a friendly. He did however miss two penalties in Serie A too that season.
So… He did score 13 penalty goals but only 11 of his 13 Serie A goals came from the spot. Close but no cigar. 🙂
I remember that season. We got an insane amount of penalties. Zlatan missed a couple and then Kessie got his chance and almost never missed his penalties. He used to walk slowly and watch the goalies moves and put it in the empty corner.
Tijjani is a REAL talent, and is committed to the team. He needs 2 goals to equal Leao’s best goalscoring season. Along with Pulisic who bleeds for the club we have 2 good guys to build around who aren’t afraid to sacrifice for the team and who are serious and don’t moonlight as rappers in their spare time.