Gio Reyna on Dortmund future: ‘I can’t think of a better club to play for’

Reyna says he wants to stay put

For Gio Reyna, the grass isn’t greener on the other side.

The U.S. men’s national team midfielder, after being very effective in limited minutes during the 2022-23 season for Borussia Dortmund, said in an interview that rather than looking for the exit, he’s angling for a more regular role under manager Edin Terzić.

ESPN Bundesliga commentator Derek Rae published quotes from an interview he conducted with the 20-year-old, with Reyna saying that he “can’t think of a better club to play for” than Dortmund.

“I’m lucky that my first professional club is also a club that has the chance to win the Bundesliga, the Pokal, and Champions League,” said Reyna. “There is no moving up from Dortmund. It’s a top, top club so I’m happy here and could play here forever.”

A June report in Bild said that Dortmund was prepared to listen to offers for Reyna, setting a €20 million line on a transfer fee to open talks. However, there are conflicting reports on the accuracy of that claim, with Sky Sports Germany reporting earlier this month that Dortmund had no plans to court interest in Reyna.

Reyna produced seven goals and added two assists for Dortmund this past season, but owing to injuries and the volume of talented players competing for time, saw just 609 minutes of playing time. In the interview, Reyna was clear on wanting to stay at Signal Iduna Park, with a focus on making more starts during the 2023-24 season.

“What I’ve learned is coming off the bench was helpful to the team winning and sometimes late in the game, it opens up a bit,” said Reyna. “I’m going to push as hard as I can to start more this season though. That’s my goal for sure.”

Reyna has not yet played for Dortmund in their preseason preparations, with Terzić saying last week that he was still working back from a calf injury suffered during the USMNT’s CONCACAF Nations League final win over Canada.

Regarding Gregg Berhalter’s return as the USMNT’s head coach, Reyna said that U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker gave him assurances about his role within the program, but did not directly address how their relationship is. After a winter plagued by scandal, Berhalter acknowledged that “there’s work to do” in building trust between himself and Reyna.

Reyna was more expansive on the USMNT’s participation in the 2024 Copa América, which will take place in the United States.

“We need to raise our expectations,” said Reyna. “There is no reason we shouldn’t compete for the trophy in front of our own fans in our country. That’s our mentality.”

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