As honest as it gets. Tijjani Reijnders has openly admitted that money was a major reason behind his decision to swap the Premier League for Saudi Arabia – and he has absolutely no regrets about it."Me a money grabber? I can't deny that," the former Manchester City midfielder told NOS."Once my playing career is over, I don't want to have to work anymore."##LINKED_NEWS_68079##The Netherlands international left City after just one season, completing a £52 million move to Al-Qadsiah after arriving from AC Milan for £46.5m.But while Reijnders initially spoke about Al-Qadsiah's ambition to become the "biggest in Asia", he has now offered a considerably more straightforward explanation.The 28-year-old is reportedly set to earn around £86m over the course of his multi-year contract, money he says will secure not only his own future, but that of generations of his family.##LINKED_NEWS_46971##"Of course, I probably wouldn't have needed to work anymore after my contract at Manchester City either, but this move allows me to secure the future of the next generations of my family," he said."I'm not going to lie about that. By signing this contract, I can make sure even my grandchildren are financially secure, so why wouldn't I do it?"You can always play the moral crusader, but I think everyone would say yes to that."##EDITORS_CHOICE##Reijnders' decision also came after a frustrating season at the Etihad.Having joined City with huge expectations, he made 50 appearances but struggled to establish himself in his preferred role. The midfielder sees himself as a dynamic box-to-box No.8, but was frequently deployed further forward as a No.10.European clubs including Atletico Madrid and Juventus were reportedly interested, but City's valuation ultimately helped push him towards Saudi Arabia.19.00: (1.48) Gibraltar (4.10) Sao Tome (6.25)A conversation with Al-Qadsiah manager Brendan Rodgers also convinced Reijnders that Saudi Arabia does not necessarily have to be a one-way ticket out of European football.Rodgers told him he could spend three or four years in Saudi Arabia before returning to Europe, something Reijnders now sees as part of his plan."I think many people have the idea that your career as a top footballer is over when you choose to take such a step," he said. "I had that feeling at first too. He said that I can play here perfectly fine for three or four years with great pleasure and then go back to Europe. There are plenty of examples of that now. That is also my goal," concluded Reijnders.
10