Nottingham Forest have reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund to sign Giovanni Reyna on loan until the end of the season, according to John Percy of The Telegraph. The surprise deadline day move will bolster Nuno Espirito Santo’s options in attacking midfield, with the 21-year-old American prospect set to challenge other first-team players for key minutes in their relegation battle.
Nottingham Forest Set to Sign Gio Reyna on Loan
Medical booked for Borussia Dortmund Prospect
Percy confirmed that Forest have fought off competition from other clubs and Reyna is “scheduled to arrive in England” on Wednesday January 31, to complete a loan deal until the end of the season. The deal includes an option to buy.
The Tricky Trees are yet to sign anyone in this window, which comes after the club were charged for breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules on Monday, January 15, 2024.
Jorge Mendes’ Increased Power at Nottingham Forest
Reyna’s contract at Dortmund expires in June 2025 and the 21-year-old signed with Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes in December 2023. Mendes was integral in Forest’s appointment of Nuno Espírito Santo on December 20, 2023, according to Daniel Taylor of The Athletic. Santo is a Mendes client and the signing of Reyna points towards Mendes’ growing influence at Forest.
Gio Reyna’s Dortmund Struggles Earn Move to Premier League & Nottingham Forest
Reyna has only played 13 games in all competitions for Dortmund this season and is without a goal or an assist. The 21-year-old did not make an appearance until September due to injury and has struggled to make an impact in a Dortmund team that sit fourth in the Bundesliga table, 13 points behind leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Gio Reyna’s Career So Far
Reyna impressed at the New York City Academy between 2015 to 2019, before he was signed by Dortmund in 2019. The versatile forward who can play as a winger or an attacking midfielder made his debut for Dortmund in January 2020, and since then has scored 13 goals in 89 Bundesliga appearances. In the 2020/21 season, he won the DFB-Pokal.
Despite struggling for game time in Germany, head coach Edin Terzic has recently praised the 21-year-old. After his side’s 3-0 victory over VFL Bochum, the German head coach told DAZN “Gio is a fantastic player. Of course he’s not happy when he’s not playing. [Against Bochum] you could see that Gio is capable of influencing the game from the bench.”
He has long been regarded a wonderkid and a part of a new exciting generation of American talent. For the US Men’s National Team (USMNT), Reyna has had a mixed career. Reyna has scored seven goals in 24 USMNT appearances. However, he recently had a public fallout with head coach Gregg Berhalter.
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