AC Milan midfielder opens up on snubbing Barcelona last summer: “The role there was less suitable”

Barcelona’s hunt for a midfielder last summer saw them linked with an array of talented players.

One such name was Tijjani Reijnders, who was coming off a fantastic season with AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie division.

The 24-year-old Dutch talent was perceived as a solid option to reinforce the defensive midfield position after Sergio Busquets departed the club to join Inter Miami.

However, the Catalan giants ended up signing Oriol Romeu, as Reijnders signed a five-year contract with Serie A team AC Milan.

Reijnders recently spoke with Voetbal International (h/t MilanNews), in which he revealed that he was contacted by Barcelona but ended up joining the Rossoneri.

His reasons for making the leap to Milan

Reijnders stated that he desired to play at a club that accommodated his strengths, with Barcelona not entirely suitable for his playstyle.

“The aspects relating to football were fundamental to my choice. I wanted to go to an important competition, but that wasn’t the only criterion. The role that Barcelona had in mind was less suitable to my characteristics,” he remarked.

The midfielder uncovered that AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli understood his qualities to a tee, claiming that he is in his element when tasked to shuttle back and forth in an attacking midfield role.

“My strength lies in the attacking midfield and in shuttling back and forth. And in terms of club size, Milan and Barcelona are in the same category.

“Speaking with Pioli, I discovered that the club had followed me all year, and the coach knew exactly what I could add to the team and had also been very clear about my role as an attacking midfielder,” he mentioned.

Further shedding light on how the Milan coach’s ideologies appealed to him, he added:

“Pioli is an offensive-minded coach; much of his training material focuses on football solutions and how to free yourself from pressure. This also really attracted me. Milan is a huge club in a big competition, aiming to dominate matches.”

Barcelona still looking for a pivot

Having lost out on a number of options last summer, Barcelona ended up signing Oriol Romeu, but the Spaniard has had an up-and-down campaign so far in Catalonia.

His mixed form, coupled with his age, has meant that the Blaugrana are once again on the lookout for a new pivot midfielder for 2024.

It remains to be seen who the reigning La Liga champions end up signing come summer.