Gio Reyna isn’t sure where he’ll be playing his club soccer next season, but he does know he wants to be somewhere he’s wanted.
The U.S. men’s national team star has returned to Borussia Dortmund after a disappointing loan at Nottingham Forest. After joining the Premier League side at midseason, Reyna played in 10 games, starting twice, while earning a total of just 230 minutes.
That followed a difficult first half of the campaign at Dortmund where Reyna also played sparingly.
That leaves the 21-year-old at something of a crossroads looking ahead to 2024-25. In an interview with The Athletic, Reyna admitted his spell at Forest “didn’t work out,” saying his short stint and the club being in a relegation battle didn’t help his cause.
“It didn’t go as planned. The goal was to go there and play games and get really consistent minutes but the club was under a lot of pressure and things happen,” Reyna said. “It’s never that simple, going on loan for three to four months.
“I was blessed to be at Dortmund for a few years, finishing top-five guaranteed and playing Champions League every year. At Forest, I saw the other side of it. It gave me a perspective of a different kind of football. One day, I’d love to go back to the Premier League, so to get a taste of that was also really valuable for me going forward.”
If he stays at Dortmund, Reyna will have to win over manager Edin Terzić should he wish to earn more playing time. That has proven to be a difficult task for the USMNT playmaker, who admitted he could play somewhere else come next season.
Wherever he goes, though, Reyna knows the most important thing is a goal that has proved challenging of late: consistent playing time.
“There’s been discussions and I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen,” Reyna said. “I just want to go somewhere that is at the highest possible level, but still play an important role, get consistent minutes and be an important player for any team, whether it’s at Dortmund or somewhere else.
“I’m just looking for the right fit for me, playing at a high level and a club that wants me — where I feel valued.”
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