What’s gone wrong for Gio Reyna at Borussia Dortmund?

It seems like Borussia Dortmund are ready to think about the departure of Gio Reyna on more serious terms. Recent reports indicate that a number of clubs are interested in the USMNT player’s services. Sevilla, Marseille and Real Sociedad, among others seem to be possible destinations at this time. 

The possible departure of Reyna is a somber thought, with the player having come through the club's youth system after moving to Germany in 2019 from NYCFC's academy. It’s easy to forget just how long Reyna’s been with Dortmund considering he made his professional debut at the age of 17.

And yet, despite all the great promise he showed as a youngster, the club still don’t see him as a cornerstone in the current side. In a recent interview, Sebastian Kehl couldn’t really make any concrete statements on Reyna’s future, and with the recent links to players such as Can Uzun, it’s hard not to make the connection with a departure. 

The question then is, what’s gone wrong for Reyna at Dortmund? It’s a question that can be answered from a number of angles, with his lengthy injury layoffs being the first to come to mind. Over the course of his time at Dortmund, Reyna has suffered injuries that have kept him on the sidelines for extended periods of time, the longest stretch being due to a muscle injury he suffered in September of 2021, where the player misssed 22 games total. He also suffered a leg fracture this past summer while on international duty, which delayed his start to the current season. These injuries have prevented Reyna from getting extended runs in the team to build momentum and stake a claim to the starting 11.

Aside from injuries, Reyna has faced intense competition for the primary position he plays (namely in attack midfield). Marco Reus and Julian Brandt occupy this position regularly, which makes it tough for a player like Reyna to break into the team for significant minutes. Edin Terzić, because of this, has tried to play Reyna in a more wide position where he has not always been able to show the same incisiveness that he can more centrally. Dissatisfaction with this role and Terzić’s insistence on playing him there have led to a situation where the player may indeed have to seek a new beginning with a new club to get more minutes.

The "type of separtion" Reyna and Dortmund will choose to pursue is also important to take into account. Dortmund may well choose to simply send the player out on loan to see how he does, and then make a decision about his future in the summer. That, or the player may leave permanently for a fee of between 15-20 million euros.

While speculation is very much abundant regarding Reyna's future, the focus here is simply to note that should such a separation occur, it will be a failure for both parties involved as Reyna has clearly been unable to convince the club in the minutes he's been given, and yet in the time he's played on the pitch he has offered something different to what this current Dortmund side usually has when he's on the bench, which is a spark of creativity and an eye for an incivsive pass. It is a shame that the player was not given more time on the pitch, even if it were to be just off the bench, to show that he can be a creative asset for this side.