"I advised Reijnders not to sign for Barcelona"

Tijani Reijnders has established himself as an important part of Milan's midfield. He arrived in the summer of 2023 from AZ Alkmaar, but his destination could have been elsewhere. Specifically, Barcelona.

However, a conversation between the player and his father ended up deciding his future. "I advised my son to reject Barcelona. He would have been a substitute there and would have risked failure, like many others," Martin Reijnders told the Algemeen Dagblad.

"There was also interest from English clubs, but I only spoke to them through intermediaries. I only had direct contact with Barcelona, talking to sporting director Deco. I even checked his profile picture to make sure it was really him," he said.

"It is clear that we were flattered by Barcelona's interest. However, they were looking for a replacement for Busquets, and I told my son that he doesn't have that profile. He is not that kind of player with the characteristics they were looking for," added the Dutchman's father.