Why Tijjani Reijnders is by far Milan’s best performer this season, culminating in a contract extension
Analysis
A.C. Milan, an Italian powerhouse and still Europe's second most successful club with 7 European Cup triumphs, are currently in a funk. How bad is it? Generationally bad. They find themselves 9th and on course to their second-ever worst league finish since the turn of the millennium.
Amidst this plummet, Milan were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League to a struggling Feyenoord side, who, just a few days before the first leg, sacked their manager and sold their star player and goalscorer, Santiago Gimenez, to none other than Milan themselves. A humiliation like no other. Manager changes, alleged player bust-ups, public criticisms, uninspiring performances and dismal results, Curva Sud protests and boycotts amongst a 125th anniversary party and a dramatic, triumphant SupperCoppa run. It's been quite a season.
One of the few shining lights from the disgraceful season has been the performances of Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders. They have earned him a contract extension, penning him until 2030. The Milan directors liked what they saw and were sure to get his signature (one of their few sound judgments this year). At the time of writing, he has 14 goals and 4 assists in all competitions, a stark improvement from the 4 of each in his debut season in Lombardy. He has never been in richer form in front of a goal. After his goal on the weekend against Udinese, he now has the most goals by a central midfielder in Europe’s top 5 leagues (below).
Despite Milan’s tumultuous season on and off the pitch and with famous superstar players such as Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez, alongside Christian Pulisic, he has been Milan's most consistent and talismanic player (below).
The numbers show this. He is Milan’s top goalscorer in the league and non-penalty goals in all competitions; a player whose modus operandi is the role of a regista, operating from the centre of midfield. He is taking the most shots while still being on target and is outperforming his xG quite considerably, suggesting a decrease in sustainability for future seasons, but certainly indicates his outperformance this year, going above and beyond his expectations. His neat finishes against Empoli and Hellas Verona in particular show his calmness and immense technical ability in front of goal.
Reijnders' influence and ever-presence are shown in his touch map (below). The midfielder pops up everywhere, covering nearly every blade of grass. This could be filling in defensive holes as well as in more advanced positions, in between the lines.
His pass map paints a similar picture: ever involved, forward-thinking and accomplished (below).
Comparatively speaking, Reijnders leads the way with passes and successful passes into the final third, making him Milan’s most efficient creative performer. He lies in 2nd place for most open play passes, just 80 behind Youssouf Fofana, and just 2 behind Christian Pulisic for most through balls in the squad. His passing accuracy of 89% is equally as impressive, the same accuracy as defenders who generally play safer, risk-averse, non-threatening balls (below).
Not only has his neat and accurate forward passing been impressive, but equally so is his ability to drive with the ball with speed and grace. Despite having quick, talented dribblers in the side such as Rafael Leao, Theo Hernandez and Christian Pulisic, Reijnders has made the most ball carries and by over 1000m, travelled the furthest with the ball as well as progressive ball carries (below).
Not only is he a ticking metronome with his distribution, but he has also exhibited an ability to drive with the ball into space and cover ground easily, spearheading counterattacks. The delicate driving Dutchman has shown the character and confidence in such a challenging season to take it upon himself to charge the team on, like an army general leading The Thin Red (and black) Line.
This analysis shows Reijnders to be a dynamic, ever-present, influential game controller, but also his match-defining characteristics. He is at the centre of all attacks and is the beating heart of the team. This reliability and consistency in answering the call of duty is something other players have lacked, with increasingly erratic performances.
This development in his game has made Reijnders versatile and transformed him from a central midfielder or regista with deep playmaking abilities to a more proactive box-to-box, roaming playmaker role. In keeping with the American ownership of the club, he is surely Milan’s MVP this season.
Given the fact that some notable European suitors, such as Manchester United, Manchester City and Real Madrid, started to sniff around, all of whom could do with an injection of life in their midfield, Milan’s hierarchy were swift in sealing Reijnders’ pen to paper, offering him a 2 year contract and a pay rise by double from €1.7 million to €3.5million a year.
He’s a fan favourite too. When Milan celebrated their 125th anniversary party in December last year, the Curva Sud protested outside, jeering players and members as they arrived, with the exception of Reijnders. The midfielder being one of only 3 players who were applauded.
Looking ahead, no matter which coach is at the helm next season, be it Sergio Conceicao or others who are touted like Roberto de Zerbi or Maurizio Sarri, with more emphasis on possession and transitional play, Reinjders will surely be adept at playing any of those styles of football.
Reinjders of Dutch nationality is the latest chapter in the love story the nation has with the red side of Milan, following the legendary triumvirate of Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard and more recently Clarence Seedorf amongst others. Certainly, comparison could be made with the latter due to his all round highly technical, intelligent, but also physical play. Seedorf and Reijnders both share an ability to move powerfully and gracefully with the ball, despite not being blessed with an abundance of pace.
Reinjders is on course to follow in his footsteps and be the future of Milan, someone to be built around, the Il Duomo to Milan’s impressive skyline.