Gio Reyna’s next move will ultimately be up to him to decide.
Nottingham Forest and Marseille have reportedly both agreed with Borussia Dortmund over a loan agreement for Reyna, ESPN reported Wednesday. The loan deal also includes a permanent transfer option, according to the report.
Monaco, Real Sociedad, Villarreal, Sevilla, and Benfica have also been linked with a potential move for Reyna this winter.
The 21-year-old Reyna has been linked with a move away from Borussia Dortmund, with hopes of earning consistent playing time elsewhere. Reyna’s contract is set to run until June 2025, but it’s very likely he will depart the Black and Yellow before the conclusion of his deal.
Reyna has been reduced to only 337 minutes of playing time in 13 combined appearances for Borussia Dortmund this season. In total, Reyna has scored 17 goals and registered 16 assists in 120 appearances for the Bundesliga giants.
A move to Nottingham Forest would unite Reyna with fellow U.S. men’s national team teammates Matt Turner and Ethan Horvath. However, Horvath could also be on the move this January after not featuring for Forest since preseason camp last summer.
Marseille sits seventh in Ligue 1, three points out of the top-five. Reyna would be the first American to play for the French side since Konrad De La Fuente did in 2022.
“surely someone is willing to buy a player this good, outright.”
To paraphrase Duane Thomas, “Evidently not.”
IV,
The stop gap is a first step out of Dortmund, which given Gio’s situation there, is a step in the right direction. The next step is a sale / transfer away from Dortmund this summer. Both positive moves.
Not recognizing the process is a failure…I giggle at that. 🙂
look, i get a loan if he just got benched last month and we’re sorting stuff out on the fly. we have been talking about gio needing out of dortmund for years, not months, and he’s started once all season, and played 337 mins total. his 10% should have been working this situation FOR MONTHS. we’re stopgapping “that?”
i also don’t buy a player his level needs a tire-kicking tryout before they do the transfer. i think they left it too late. then i completely see where it could be sociedad vs. marseille vs. forest and a bunch of loan offers. i then have every reason to criticize.
you’re finessing that your stopgap results in repeating the same process again in may. him back in dortmund looking for a way out. him shopping teams again. maybe even another loan. the idea is extract him from this.
“…we have been talking about gio needing out of dortmund for years, not months…”
Simply put, that is not true and equates to clown speak.
——————————————————————————————————
“and he’s started once all season, and played 337 mins total. his 10% should have been working this situation FOR MONTHS. we’re stopgapping “that?”
Again, that is not true and more clown speak. Gio just hired Mendes.
—————————————————————————————————–
“you’re finessing that your stopgap results in repeating the same process again in may. him back in dortmund looking for a way out…”
While it is possible that Gio will find his way back to Dortmund, that is unlikely, so no one is massaging anything.
“i also don’t buy a player his level needs a tire-kicking tryout before they do the transfer.”
You might if it was YOUR money on the line. It’s Gio’s career not yours.
This is a business. BVB hung onto Gio for as long as they could likely in hopes that he would rebuild his value. But they ran out of time .
It is obvious that they know what Gio is and what he could be. They likely would have gladly hung on to him until the end of his contract or at least until this summer. It might have been better to do that for all concerned but now we’ll never know.
It seems Gio got serious about wanting to be in shape for Copa America and pulled the trigger with Mendes. Time will tell whether this is a good move or not.
As for him having to move again at season’s end, so what? It’s part of the business of being a professional.
If Gio wants reach his full potential and get all the rewards that come with that, he’s going to have to work hard deal with all the BS that might be standing in his way.
He’s not in high school, college or on a select team. He’s a big time pro now. Regardless of where he goes, if he finally plays like we all know he can then everything else will follow.
If not, then oh well, another one bites the dust.
Quozzel,
Gio, and any other player for that matter, can get hurt in any league. For the most part, injuries are uncontrollable.
Unless there is data, and a plethora of it, to support that injuries are more likely to occur in the EPL vs other leagues in Europe, that shouldn’t be a variable in Gio’s decision making process.
He needs to minutes…consistent minutes…preferably, lots of consistent minutes…ideally, starter minutes. Wherever he can get those minutes, and while doing so, allow other teams to have visibility to how he can positively make an impact on the field…that is what should be the most important variable in the decision making process.
EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1, all have valuable options, so none of them should be excluded from the process, and definitely not because we “think” he will get kicked more in a particular league.
I’m betting he takes the Forest offer because of prestige, becomes the first sub, makes little impact, returns to Dortmund after the option to buy is declined, his value plummets, he goes to Europe team in Portugal or Eredivisie, puts up decent numbers, immediately demands a transfer, no one bites je stuck, production wanes and ends up in MLS as a DP but is unhappy and is mediocre. Writes a book about how GB ruined his career.
The other path – choosing Ligue 1, La Liga or Portugal now sends him on a trajectory that leads back to a Champions League team in one of the top 4 leagues.
you really see forest as superior prestige to OM? france doesn’t get enough credit, presumably because it’s forever been on something like bein that is neither on basic cable nor your average sports package. and remembering forest currently sits 16th, foot on a banana peel and that’s before any penalties hit.
Not Forest exactly but the Premier League
MoO: you’re making my point for me on how the US sees the lower rungs of EPL with a distorted TV lens. OM has 9 top french league titles and a couple european trophies including 1 UCL in the modern era. forest has a single first division title ever and hasn’t been any good on an international level since the late 70s.
I’m not even disagreeing with you. I lump Reyna in with the TV fans. I’m betting he sees the move to Premier League as a big shiny prize despite there being less of a chance of getting more minutes, it suiting his style of play, etc… At Marseille he’d basically be competing with two Moroccans who have totaled 3 goals and two assists this season. They have injuries in his position of choice which should allow him a lot of minutes especially since they are still playing in Europa. OM is so obvious a better move. I just don’t think he’ll take it.
I’d personally take Marseille if I was Reyna. Bigger club, bigger stadium, far better European prospects, and a much weaker league. Reyna’s had an incredibly hard time staying healthy, getting kicked repeatedly in cold and rainy England is not going to make him healthier. I’m with those who think La Liga or Serie A is his best fit but I think he can certainly get there by way of Marseille.
Also agree Nottingham’s risky. We saw how that worked out for Leeds last year.
Quozzel,
Gio, and any other player for that matter, can get hurt in any league. For the most part, injuries are uncontrollable.
Unless there is data, and a plethora of it, to support that injuries are more likely to occur in the EPL vs other leagues in Europe, that shouldn’t be a variable in Gio’s decision making process.
He needs to minutes…consistent minutes…preferably, lots of consistent minutes…ideally, starter minutes. Wherever he can get those minutes, and while doing so, allow other teams to have visibility to how he can positively make an impact on the field…that is what should be the most important variable in the decision making process.
EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1, all have valuable options, so none of them should be excluded from the process, and definitely not because we “think” he will get kicked more in a particular league.
quozzel
“I’d personally take Marseille if I was Reyna. Bigger club, bigger stadium, far better European prospects, and a much weaker league.”
I don’t think those are good reasons.
Marseille is owned by Frank McCort. If that sounds like an American he’s actually from Boston. He used to own the Dodgers, which seems awkward to me, him being from Boston and all.
Marseille is managed by Gattuso. That’s right, Rino. Who used to manage Valencia and I believe knows Yunus pretty well. And who also played for Rangers though after Claudio Reyna left. Al ong time sidekick of Pirlo in midfield , he was the holding midfielder that Tyler wishes he were as good as. I can see him being an interesting manager for Gio.
That said, Forest want Gio because they have no cover for Gibbs -White, a player is very much like what many think Gio could become. He also gives them cover for Elanga and our old friend Callum Hudson Odoi . And Nuno’s agent is Mendes. It’s interesting when your manager and you share the same high powered agent. I think Gio could do well with Forest.
But I’d rather see what Rino can do with Gio.
“Reyna’s had an incredibly hard time staying healthy, getting kicked repeatedly in cold and rainy England is not going to make him healthier. I’m with those who think La Liga or Serie A is his best fit but I think he can certainly get there by way of Marseille.”
I agree with Papi Grande. I’m amazed that you seem to think that no one gets hurt in Spain or Italy. In fact the worst leg breaking injury I ever saw was when Colorado’s Brian Mullan tried to amputate Zakuani’s leg. I never saw anything like that in the EPL.
As for the cold and rain, that speaks to poor “pitches” and in the EPL, with their money, the grounds have so much better facilities and grounds now than they ever had. Don’t worry about poor Gio’s health. EPL players are very rich and very well taken cared of. They have money, a lot of it.
Besides I think Gio’s injuries were a combination of bad luck along with his body changing. Look at him today and look at him a few years ago when he was 17-18 just breaking in. Very different looking. I hate to jinx him but Pulisic kind of went through the same injury thing as Gio. Now it looks like CP11 has learned how to take much better care of himself.
“Also agree Nottingham’s risky. We saw how that worked out for Leeds last year.”
Forest is risky but they are not the same shit show that Leeds was. Forest are a better team now than Leeds was then. Cooper was a better manager than Jesse and so is Nuno and neither of them had to deal with the ghost of Marcelo. I like to think that Gio and his people, who are not stupid, have been given a clear idea of what Nuno’s plans are for Gio.
The best thing about Forest would be that we get to see Gio on TV much easier.
But I vote for seeing what Rino can do with Gio.
Marseille would be a great for him to rebound. A team with some decent talent that is looking to qualify for the Champions League. Reyna will be able to express his skills in that squad.
A beautiful city in a beautiful region (no offense to Nottingham but it’s not really comparable if you’ve ever been) so quality of life wise for Reyna it’s not bad.
An hyper passionate fanbase and a club with a rich history where Reyna could really become a hero if he plays up to his potential – I always thought Reyna was a bit Zidane like in his movements and game so those fans will dig it.
At Nottigham it would be a relegation struggle in a league where the squad is severely overmatched, though of course the EPL is the best league so he’d experience that.
there is no way dortmund would have 2 signed loan deals so there is obviously some degree of hype or misunderstanding or auction-action going on here.
i would like to see reyna in spain or holland. pressing and GB version aside, i think he is one of the few players who actually fits a pep style tiki taka technical game. i think those leagues reward technical players with high productivity. he will dribble some folks and hit you an accurate cross or shot. i do not see him as some pressing robot or running machine. to me he’d be better off in a league mostly about skill. which is holland and parts of spain, to me.
i do think OM is sufficiently midtable where he’d get his shot. i think he needs to slide down the prestige table a little so he will actually play. he produces when he does. that and a player’s coach as opposed to some self righteous scheme obsessive. right situation the rest takes care of itself. wrong situation — and he is probably expensive enough he limits his own potential transfer destinations — we’re just going in circles.
forest in particular seems risky as they want him on loan, could go down, are unlikely to buy, and with his reputation, i wouldn’t feel comfortable on a relegation team. relegation teams, to me, tend to get a bit manic and swap people in and out looking for anything that works. i think that is a better situation for a proven player or known workhorse. i think a mercurial kid who can be a flake, put in a relegation situation, either really takes off as hero or becomes one of the scapegoats if he’s a misfit. kind of like GB did him. i don’t think he needs politics and turmoil. i think he needs a solid team and produce. so higher up the table, yes?
While Forest is doing better of late, I’m not sure it’s the best destination for him. Rather than getting caught up in individual clubs, I think from a league standpoint, Spain would be his best bet. I say that because it is more of a technical league than France, Germany, or England and I think that best suits Reyna’s abilities. Also, the EPL is a very physical league, and given his injury history, he might be better off in the Spanish league in that regard. As to the pay question that some have discussed, I can’t disagree with a player who decides to go for a big payday that could set him up for the rest of his life. In this case, since it’s a loan, that shouldn’t be a real concern at this time.
makes sense to me, I think Italy could be good for him too
most places in italy are going to expect him to chase around constantly and play 90 minute team defense. i finesse this for the US because i think this has gone too far down the road of chasing around like a chicken here, when we need some skill and accuracy back in. but italian teams aren’t going to fudge it. he will run and tackle or he will sit. if this is part of the dortmund critique, no sense replicating the problem.
that being said, italy does seem to now be interested in our players and unlike england to be more into playing them.
IV: if your point is he shouldn’t go somewhere to learn how to defend, we disagree. it is, by far, his greatest weakness, specifically that is, his inability to understand that all must defend, that this applies to him too, and that he actually has to try all game long on that side of the ball.
running around like chickens or whatever? so you calling out entire leagues like Serie A now because Gio would be asked to defend? lol, seriously man
bb: you don’t sign for a team that wants a player with different tools than what you actually offer. i get signing for a coach that wants what you have but might push you on your weaknesses, but you don’t sign someplace who wants a different type hoping you magically change. that’s wishing.
i mean, you get what you’re trying to sell me on is the equivalent of, say, trying to turn jozy into a back to goal english striker? you send him to holland he scores 30 goals. you send him to some of his stops and he’s useless. i am merely suggesting gio make a decision akin to the 30 goals one. play to strengths.
the time for education and learning-against-type was back when he first signed at dortmund.
bb: to me players like dempsey who actually significantly improve — in his case, shooting, where he went from ok to excellent — are rare ducks.
one of the reasons i disdain GB and this whole aesthetic project is it is built upon fighting against type, of changing one’s nature, as opposed to leveraging current known skill sets. you want to change our players go back to age 5.
Anywhere else but the EPL, please.
Looks lie Marseille are trying to hijack Reyna. Coming in hard for him
I don’t see how a loan move helps Reyna at all. It takes time for a player to get used to a new team and league so it’s not like his market value is going to increase via a loan. Reyna’s market value this summer is all that he should be concerned with because the summer before a contract ends is when the business side of things get serious.
Simple…increased playing time.
but if he’s not playing because he’s stuck on the bench at Dortmund, how does his market value go up? His coach won’t play him more than a few minutes at the end of games, and the technical director has come.out and said he needs to step it up in training are not ringing endorsements, so he needs to get out of Dortmund
yeah, i giggle at the stuff praising the new agent for a loan deal. a loan deal for a player long term unhappy where he is, is a stopgap, and a failure at his quality.
Hmmm….not a bad look since there is a friendly face already there, although I think EPL will be a lot LESS forgiving, with no room for error and will demand a lot more from Gio…….IMMEDIATELY!!!!. USMNT partnerships on teams in Europe seem to have a high probability of success recently:
Tessmann and Busio
Pepi, Dest and Tillman
Weah and Mckennie
Pulisic and Musah
so Gio Needs a team that “wants to play with him” and that fits his style of play. I know these players are not supposed to be babied or cuddled…..bbbuuutttt I would love to see the kid combining with:
Real Betis / La Liga(with Johnny Cardoso)
Monaco / Ligue 1 (Folarin Balogun)
Norwich City / EFL Championship (Josh Sargent)
Borussia Moenchengladbach / Bundesliga (Joe Scally, Jordan Pefok)
Wolfsburg / Bundesliga (Kevin Paredes)
Celta Vigo / La Liga (Luca De La Torre)
FC Utrecht / Eredivisie (Taylor Booth)
I guess if he has to go to an EPL team I’d prefer:
Fulham / EPL (Ream and Robinson)
Crystal Palace / EPL (Chris Richards)
AFC Bournemouth / EPL (Tyler Adams undergoing rehab)
At this point I hope he makes good decisions and goes to a supporting team, any team, that would value his input and be an important part of the growth of a player we all know has a lot of untapped potential.
“led the negotiations” and all this celebratory talk about the agent……for a loan to forest? as in the team that may get hit with a points deduction or transfer ban in the summer when you would want to make the loan a buy. as in a loan where he potentially ends up right back in dortmund this summer looking for a way out again. bravo, agent.
surely someone is willing to buy a player this good, outright.
“surely someone is willing to buy a player this good, outright.”
To paraphrase Duane Thomas, “Evidently not.”
Why go to thrash relegation windmill fight to survive forest, when Real Sociedad is way better and a better team and fit
What makes you think Sociedad can afford his salary? NF’s payroll is 79 million pounds. Sociedad’s is 39 million. Gio would need to take a pay cut to go there.
Forest can’t afford him neither that’s why it’s a loan. Money/affordability is not an excuse when Real Sociedad can do a loan too!
What makes you think Sociedad can afford his salary? NF’s payroll is 79 million pounds. Sociedad’s is 39 million. Gio would need to take a pay cut to go there.
Sometimes taking a pay cut is the right career move.
Jayam, while you may be right, I personally have never opted for that path, but then again I never had the earning potential Gio has.
The Jorge Mendes client network rolls on with regards to shaping player transfers. Given the relationship between Jorge and Nuno, all signs point to Gio getting a chance for significant minutes.
Reports are indicating an option to buy at the end of the loan. If NFFC gets relegated, I hope there is relegation clause that negates that option.
I don’t know all the ins and outs but I’d guess teams being relegated probably can’t spend the buy option amount very often. Especially if they’re in trouble for overspending. I’d guess it’s 15-20 million, they do have some other assets to sell to cover that. The three clubs this year Leeds, Leicester, and Southampton didn’t spend a lot, mostly unloaded salary. I would guess there’s a relegation clause. They mentioned the Mendes/Nuno connection on Morning Footy last week, but dismissed it somewhat because of the financial problems.
To your point, if relegated, it’s unlikely NFFC buys Reyna, but they do have assets. If relegated, my real concern about Reyna staying is the Mendes / Nuno relationship. That said, if relegated, would Nuno survive?…unlikely…but the force is strong in that Mendes character, and I have concern that he would work to keep Nuno at NFFC, and potentially others, with an eye towards a quick return to the EPL, which is why I hope there is a relegation clause.
This move for Gio is a loan, with a rumored option to buy, but the real move is Mendes putting Gio in the shop window. If NFFC are relegated, Gio is most likely on the move again. If NFFC stays up, he may be staying. Unless…Gio plays off the charts, then he is probably going to have suitors, and Mendes would like nothing more than to move Gio again this coming summer on a nice transfer fee.
I was giving this potential move some more thought, and this move does not concern me with regards to Gio’s ability / quality to play in the EPL or staying healthy. The latter, for the most part, is not something that can be controlled, regardless of league.
At Dortmund, he is currently challenged for the following reasons:
1) Given Gio’s injury issues, Terzic doesn’t trust him.
2) Given #1 above, Terzic doesn’t rate him above his other options.
3) His behavior ( in my opinion ).
— When Gio is on the field, if he does not get the ball passed to him, or if a teammate does something that is not ideal, Gio is quick to throw his hands up, gesticulate with his arms, and / or show disdain. He has done it regularly and about the most simple and innocuous things, including doing so to some of the more experienced and established players in the team. I’m a Gio advocate, but that does not play well anywhere, and definitely not in Germany. His actions lead me to speculate that he is rubbing Terzic, and his teammates, the wrong way, and a contributing part of the equation with regards to his lack of minutes.
My real concern for this potential move is…how will Gio deal with adversity at NFFC?
@PapiGrande
enjoying the conversation from you all.
re. the shop window take from Mendes, he has to, right? Gio was offered to many clubs, these two are the only options interested at that asking price,
not that two options is bad. hopefully he finds the playing time wherever he goes
Beachbum,
Yeah, agreed, Mendes is doing his job as an agent putting Gio in the shop window. Also, you’re spot on…hope he gets playing time wherever he goes..
At this point in Gio’s club and USMNT career, that is paramount.
i agree he would likely play a lot if he could stay healthy. but in this specific context it’s very short termist — essentially, he briefly gets out of dortmund to show his wares half a season. i am sure he could get a similar result without the downside and temporary nature, pick any other bottom half club in the big 5 leagues. or go to a big club in a smaller soccer country, celtic, ajax.
i continue to believe the fetish for signing biggest club possible at highest salary is blessing and curse as the players seem to limit their transfer options next stop to similarly rich clubs where it’s equally hard to break into the lineup. they can be loaned to clubs that make more sense but as you see with the discussion about sociedad, you start shooting down the sensible, “we badly want you for our team” moves on affordability.
one hopes maybe they have some money socked away someplace and the forest thing is leverage. just like i would like to see CCV stay celtic at better salary instead of go back to england and struggle again.
i continue to believe the fetish for signing biggest club possible at highest salary is blessing and curse as the players seem to limit their transfer options next stop to similarly rich clubs where it’s equally hard to break into the lineup. they can be loaned to clubs that make more sense but as you see with the discussion about sociedad, you start shooting down the sensible, “we badly want you for our team” moves on affordability.
Agreed, but players make moves to the biggest opportunity because they believe in themselves, which is an absolute necessity in professional soccer. Without that, professional soccer will devour you and move one, so that ultimate bet on yourself is necessary for survival, if not success.
Transfers in the world of professional soccer are a high wire balancing act, which are driven by a multitude of moving parts that are fluid in nature and uncontrollable by a player. The key is to find a happy medium, but that is difficult, especially for players and agents that are alpha males and programmed to push to the limits of any boundaries.
Gattuso at Marseille is also represented by Mendes.
Definitely will get first team minutes and starts for Forest. Show up and show out.
It will be interesting if this then allows the sale of Gibbs-White or if they see the two playing together.
If Forest gets Gio( I see Marseille are hijackng he move) it will be to either play with or back up G-W.
When G-W was injured, Forest had no one as creative which is why they are interested in Gio. Forest are solid enough defensively but they really could use the kind of offensive menace that Gio, at his best , can help bring.
Also Elanga and CHO (remember him?) are the starting wingers but they have no one behind them and Gio , in theory could shore them up.
He instantly gives them cover for three of their starters. Plus he’s young , immensely talented and comparatively inexpensive which fits the business model that clubs like Forest ultimately want to follow long term.
If Gio winds up performing like you and I know he can with a guy like Mendes in his corner, Gio’s life can get very interesting very quickly.
I don’t think this true. He’s a back up for sure at midfield or on the wing unless they change the way they play. He will have to compete. Honestly, I don’t know he is the type to do that. He is suppose to have all this talent but still Dortmund brought in Sancho. Talent can only take you so far. There is more to this story. Dortmund chose to bring in Sancho who is currently out of favor at Man U due to his attitude. So either Reyna is not as good as US fans think or his training/attitude is that bad they brought in a possible problem to play in front of him. Either way going to Forest doesn’t seem like a great move. If he is realistic the best place for him is a midtable team in a league that allows more time and space on the ball. He will have less competition and his talent alone will get him in the XI. The PL is not for him right now. But, hey, I’d be thrilled to be wrong about this. I’d say he has a 40/60 chance of being another Konrad De La Fuente.
Master of the Obvious,
“Talent can only take you so far. There is more to this story. Dortmund chose to bring in Sancho who is currently out of favor at Man U due to his attitude. So either Reyna is not as good as US fans think or his training/attitude is that bad they brought in a possible problem to play in front of him.”
I have similar concerns about any move…
3) His behavior ( in my opinion ).
— When Gio is on the field during games, if he does not get the ball passed to him, or if a teammate does something that is not ideal, Gio is quick to throw his hands up, gesticulate with his arms, and / or show disdain. He has done it regularly and about the most simple and innocuous things, including doing so to some of the more experienced and established players in the team. I’m a Gio advocate, but that does not play well anywhere, and definitely not in Germany. His actions lead me to speculate that he is rubbing Terzic, and his teammates, the wrong way, and a contributing part of the equation with regards to his lack of minutes.
My real concern for this potential move is…how will Gio deal with adversity at NFFC or at any team he transfers to?