The American star is once again in the spotlight due to his inability to get consistent minutes at Borussia Dortmund
Transfer season is here, and like clockwork, the debate over Gio Reyna's future has returned. As the window approaches, the focus shifts once again to where the talented but underused U.S. international midfielder might best continue his club career.
This has been going on for a few windows now and, to be fair, that's because there's never really been a resolution either way. Despite his best efforts, Reyna remains in that perpetual state of limbo at Borussia Dortmund, and he hasn't been able to escape it for a few years now.
So here we go again. Let's fire up the discussion: where in the world should Gio Reyna end up? A stay at Dortmund, a rebuild in Spain, Italy or France, a second crack at England – all of it's on the table, but those aren't the options most discussed right now.
The spotlight is currently on MLS, the league Reyna – a former NYCFC academy standout – skipped to launch his career at Dortmund. Could it be a logical landing spot now? Several USMNT legends seem to think so.
It's clear that that question will be the talk of American soccer once again during these winter months.
Getty Images SportThe situation
Admittedly, injuries have taken their toll this season and played a significant role in Reyna being limited to just four appearances. Yet, the 22-year-old has been limited to 56 minutes of action since his return on Nov. 23. That is what is raising concerns about his future at Dortmund.
In total, Reyna has played a whopping 61 minutes this season in all competitions, with 33 of those minutes coming across four Bundesliga appearances. That's not great, to put it lightly.
So that brings up the big question with Reyna: are Dortmund just taking things slowly with him, or does he remain outside of their current plans? It's tough to tell at the moment, only Nuri Sahin knows. Sahin's promotion as manager in the summer of 2024 brought some reason for optimism, as did the departure of legendary Marco Reus, but, so far, that optimism hasn't really led to any playing time. Faced with a choice this summer, Reyna chose to stay, and Sahin's arrival along with Reus' move to MLS likely played a factor.
Regardless of the reasoning, Reyna needs to play. As legendary USMNT star Landon Donovan so eloquently put it, Reyna is a "soccer player", not a "soccer practicer." Playing time is how you get better. Playing time is how you take your career further.
Reyna has struggled to find that in recent years. After playing nearly 2,000 minutes in 2020-21, he hasn't played more than 611 league minutes in any of the three-and-a-half seasons yet. That lack of playing time is why he made a move last season and, although it failed to help much at all, it did offer some insight into what a potential next step could look like.
AdvertisementGettyPast options and decisions
Last season, Reyna faced a similar situation and ultimately chose a move that might have been the least helpful one. Of course, there is the benefit of hindsight but joining Nottingham Forest on loan was the wrong move.
In search of more playing time, Reyna joined the relegation-battling club but Forest never really found any reason to play him. They weren't trying to develop a young talented player's confidence, they were trying to survive in the Premier League. Ultimately, Nuno Espirito Santo needed to play guys he trusted, and he never fully trusted Reyna, who made just two starts and played just 230 Premier League minutes.
Despite how Reyna's move to the Premier League not panning out, the teams who he rejected to make his move last year could provide a look at teams who could be interested in this transfer window.
Last January, Reyna was linked to multiple clubs all over Europe. Spanish sides Sevilla, Real Sociedad and Villarreal were all linked. So, too, were Marseille, Monaco and Lyon. You can add in Benfica, one of the game's premier talent developers, too. Serie A side Fiorentina were reportedly in the mix as well, and we know how Americans have fared in Italy lately.
All that indicated that, even one year later, Reyna has options if he does choose to go elsewhere. Europe should provide him a landing spot, and a good one at that, although several USMNT legends believe Reyna is in need of a more drastic move.
GettyThe viewpoints of legends
Donovan didn't mince words: he thinks Reyna is wasting his time. The last few years of Reyna's career haven't helped him grow and, right now, that's exactly what he needs to be doing.
And so Donovan offered a solution: come to MLS, play every minute you can and get better.
"In a case like Gio, great you signed with Borussia Dortmund, great you went on loan to Forest. You don't play soccer," Donovan said on the Unfiltered Soccer podcast. "I used to hate this. You're a soccer player, you're not a soccer practicer. You're not a soccer-contracted person. You're a soccer player. Do you want to play soccer or not?"
He added: "Now I know injuries [were a factor] with Gio. I just get so sick of this bullsh*t. People crap on MLS all the time and I get it. Guess what? Gio Reyna in MLS would play 300 games by now, hopefully would've been fit, and he's 20. Maybe then he would've gone somewhere in Europe and gone and played. It's just frustrating because a guy with that talent [should be further ahead]. A lot of people in camp say he's the most talented guy."
Donovan isn't the only USMNT legend to say it. Tim Howard hailed Reyna as a "special talent", but reiterated that things need to get better before the World Cup. Alexi Lalas, meanwhile, wrote on FOX that Reyna should seriously consider a loan to MLS, namely the MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy, who could use him as a Riqui Puig replacement.
However, is MLS the right fit for Reyna? If he were to join in January, he still wouldn't play until the final days of February, which would flush away two more months where he could be playing. Maybe a move in the summer could make sense but, given Reyna's options in Europe last time around, it doesn't feel like he has to make that call just yet. Reyna clearly wants to play in Europe, which is why he went there at such a young age, and, despite his struggles, there's no reason to give up on that dream just yet.
That dream, though, has to make sense.
GettyWhat Reyna should do
"Europe" is a broad term. Does that mean Champions League teams? Teams playing in continental competitions? A top-five league? It's all completely subjective, isn't it?
For Reyna, staying in Europe is fine, but it needs to be at a club that allows him to flourish. Look at what the USMNT's PSV contingent is doing every week. Would it not benefit Reyna to do what Malik Tillman is doing every week, even if that means taking a slight step backwards in terms of leagues? Tillman looks set to earn a mega transfer at some point soon after taking his own step back from Bayern to PSV – couldn't a similar move work for Reyna?
It doesn't have to be to PSV or to a league like the Eredivisie, either. Dortmund is a club that wants to complete with the football's elite clubs, so there are small steps back that could see Reyna end up at a very, very good team. Sevilla, for example, were in for him last year. Would playing for a team that regularly competes for the Europa League trophy be that big of a step back?
While there are contrasting views on what should be next for Reyna, it all comes down to what does Reyna think and, perhaps just as importantly, what does Dortmund think?
Despite all that's gone on, Reyna made it clear this summer that he felt he still had a future with the club. Injuries may have impacted his ability to seize that future, but, now healthy, that chance may be there again. Realistically, he now has about a month and a half to do so as the noise grows louder. Every week with another late cameo or DNP is another missed chance to quiet the critics and establish himself as a Dortmund contributor.
With just a year and a half until the World Cup, every moment counts. Reyna didn't particularly enjoy his first World Cup experience and, if he wants a better crack at a potential second trip in 2026, he needs to head into it fit and in-form. He can't do that from the Dortmund bench, particularly with all of the talent currently in the USMNT.
So what's Reyna to do? Can he make the most of this month and earn a role going forward? Should he start re-assessing his options in Europe? He'll have to make that call soon, and we'll see what he learned from the last time as he approaches another career turning point with the start of this new transfer window.