Tijjani Reijnders is wasting no time justifying the price tag.
The Dutch midfielder, already the most expensive signing in Al-Qadsiah’s history, delivered a statement performance in the Roshn League on Tuesday night, driving his new club past Al-Ahli with the authority of a player who has decided this league belongs to him.
A Thunderbolt to Announce Himself
At Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam, Reijnders took control of the evening early. Fourteen minutes on the clock, ball rolled to him on the edge of the penalty area, Édouard Mendy set and braced in the Al-Ahli goal.
One touch. Then a vicious strike.
The shot ripped past the Senegalese goalkeeper and into the net, a goal that did more than just open the scoring. It underlined exactly why Al-Qadsiah were willing to pay a reported 61 million euros to pry him away from Manchester City in the last summer transfer window.
The crowd responded instantly. So did his teammates. From that moment, Al-Qadsiah played like a side that knew their marquee man was in full command.
A Second Blow in First-Half Stoppage Time
Just as Al-Ahli tried to steady themselves before the break, Reijnders struck again.
Three minutes into first-half stoppage time, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat found space wide and delivered a teasing cross into the area. Reijnders timed his run perfectly, attacked the ball and met it with a firm header for Al-Qadsiah’s third of the night.
No flourish. No hesitation. A finish that looked routine only because he made it so.
The brace took his tally to three goals for the club, a sharp return for a midfielder still settling into new surroundings and a new league.
Outpacing His Manchester City Start
This surge in Saudi Arabia already eclipses his opening spell at Manchester City.
With the Premier League champions, Reijnders managed just one goal in his first four matches, scoring against Wolverhampton on the opening weekend last season. Respectable, but not spectacular. At Al-Qadsiah, the numbers are climbing faster.
His first goal for the Saudi side arrived in only his second appearance, during a controlled 2-0 win over Neom in the third round of the Roshn League. Now, with a double against Al-Ahli in the sixth round, the trajectory is clear: three goals, growing influence, and a role that looks tailor-made for his blend of power and precision.
A Record Signing Playing Like One
The fee alone guaranteed scrutiny. As the most expensive player in Al-Qadsiah’s history, every touch, every decision, every performance would be weighed against those 61 million euros.
So far, the numbers are on his side.
He is scoring, he is dictating, and he is carrying himself like the centrepiece of a project built around him. Nights like this, under the lights in Dammam, are exactly what the club paid for.
If this is Reijnders still in the early chapters of his Al-Qadsiah career, the real question is how far – and how fast – he can drag this team up the Roshn League table.
