Tijjani Reijnders: I’m not at Man City to replace Kevin De Bruyne

BOCA RATON, Florida — Tijjani Reijnders insists he is not aiming to replace Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City despite revealing the Belgian midfielder is one of his idols.

Reijnders has joined City in a £46.5 million ($63.07m) deal from Milan just as De Bruyne has ended his 10-year stay at the club to move to Napoli.

The Netherlands international said he has modelled parts of his game on the City legend, as well as former Barcelona and Spain star Andres Iniesta.

But he said he will try to be his own man at the Etihad Stadium.

“I’m not here to replace him [De Bruyne],” said Reijnders at City’s Club World Cup training base in Florida.

“I have to play my own game. But I take things from different players and what they can do really well and try to adapt that. With Kevin De Bruyne, [it was] how he was scanning the pitch, the passes he gave.”

De Bruyne flourished under Pep Guardiola and was twice named the Premier League‘s best player.

Reijnders arrives at City having been named as the best midfielder in Serie A, and the 26-year-old is hoping he can go to the next level under his new manager.

“That’s also a big thing, of course, the best coach in the world,” he said.

“I am very eager to learn new things here and style of playing and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

Like Reijnders, left-back Rayan Aït-Nouri has also moved to City in time to be part of the squad for the Club World Cup.

The 24-year-old, who has joined from Wolves, could make his debut in their opening game against Moroccan side Wydad AC in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

“It’s a big step,” he said.

“Big step for my career. I’ve been in the Premier League for a long time, I played for five years. The league is very hard. They have a lot of very good teams. But yeah, for sure the step is more higher. I will try to give my best.”