Manchester City Confirm Tijjani Reijnders Signing ahead of Club World Cup
- Manchester City have splashed money on four signings in the space of one week after a below-par season
- City failed to win a trophy as they finished third in the Premier League and lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace
- Pep Guardiola's side will parade his new players at the FIFA Club World Cup in the USA, which begins on Sunday
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Manchester City have completed their fourth signing in under a week as they look to step up their preparations for the Club World Cup and next season.
Source: UGC
City uncharacteristically struggled under Pep Guardiola this season as they finished without a trophy for the first time since 2017. They won the Community Shield last year, but that is not regarded as a major trophy.
What went wrong for Manchester City?
Guardiola was unlucky with injuries, which started with his key player Rodri tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in September.
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The Ballon d'Or winner was the most integral part of Guardiola's system, and his injury sent City into a tailspin for the better part of the season.
They were bundled out of the Champions League in the playoff round by Real Madrid, and at one point, were winless in 12 games.
They eventually recovered, finishing the season in third place to qualify for next season's Champions League.
Manchester City's signings
The UAE-backed club has wasted no time in bolstering their squad as they aim to reclaim the Premier League title from Liverpool next season.
Before that, they will head to the United States, where they will feature in the newly created 32-team Club World Cup.
The club started their summer business by signing Rayan Ait Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a £36.3m (KSh 6.2 billion) deal. The Algerian international is expected to slot right into Guardiola's defence.
Marcus Betinelli was brought in from Chelsea in a shock deal. Betinelli was Chelsea's third-choice goalkeeper and a very popular figure in the dressing room. He is expected to fill Scott Carson's shoes, who will leave the club at the end of his contract this month.
Where will Rayan Cherki play at Manchester City?
The Citizens then paid a further £30m (KSh 5.1 billion) to acquire Rayan Cherki from Lyon. Cherki arrives with a strong CV of one of the most talented teenagers in world football.
The 21-year-old recently made his debut for France against Spain and impressed in a short cameo. He is expected to be one of the players who will fill the big creative shoes Kevin De Bruyne has left behind.
"This is a dream for me. Honestly, to be joining a club like Manchester City and have the opportunity to make the next step in my career here is something very, very special," he told Man City's website.
Source: Getty Images
Also in midfield, Guardiola has received more firepower in the form of Tijjani Reijnders, who arrived from AC Milan in a £46.5m (KSh 7.9 billion) deal. The Dutchman was named the Serie A midfielder of the season after impressing at the heart of the Rossoneri's team.
"City are one of the biggest teams in the world, with the best coach, world-class players and outstanding facilities. Under Pep Guardiola, City have won so many titles, and I want to help keep that going with a lot more success in the coming years," he said.
When will the new players make their debut?
All the four players were signed before the transfer window for the Club World Cup closed and will be part of the travelling party to the USA.
City will begin their campaign against Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca on June 18 in Philadelphia before facing Al Ain five days later. They will wrap up their group stage campaign against more familiar opponents in Juventus on June 26.
New rules for Club World Cup
In a related report, FIFA is set to try new five rules in the Club World Cup.
The Gianni Infantino-led body has put a lot of effort into the competition with a total prize kitty of 1 billion USD.
It will be the first time the tournament features 32 teams, up from the seven teams of the previous editions.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
