Maresca secured two £100M+ deals for midfield pair Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez as Reijnders headed to Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah in a £53M exit.
Thee Dutch international struggled to nail down a regular starting spot under Pep Guardiola in his debut campaign at the Etihad Stadium and he sensed it would be a similar situation under Maresca.
City chiefs were willing to offload him, as part of an effort to bankroll their bid for Fernandez, and Reijnders admitted he does not see himself staying in the Middle East in the long run.
"In preseason, I noticed that things were heading in that direction again at City and I started thinking about whether I wanted another season like that.
"The honest answer was no. I wanted to look elsewhere, and then I heard from the club that I was allowed to do so.
"I think a lot of people have the idea that your career as a top footballer is over when you make a move like this. I initially felt that way too.
"Brendan Rodgers said I could have three or four very enjoyable years here and then return to Europe. There are enough examples of that now. That's my goal.
"With all the big names, I actually rate the Saudi league higher than the Eredivisie. If people want to judge the football here, they should watch it first.
"You can always play the moralist, but I think everyone would say yes to the financial package.
"I don't want to have to work anymore after my career. I didn't need to after City either, but now I can also set future generations of my family well.
"If this choice means my grandchildren can also live comfortably, why wouldn't I do it?"