Last chance saloon for divisive USMNT star Gio Reyna in elite European football

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Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

United States midfielder Giovanni Reyna is leaving Borussia Monchengladbach for Strasbourg as his fall from grace continues.

The 23-year-old is among the most gifted soccer players the US has ever produced, but injuries and off-field issues have seen Reyna reduced to a shell of the wonderkid that once made the USMNT fanbase dream.

The son of US Soccer legend Claudio Reyna, Gio joined Borussia Dortmund from New York City FC's academy as a teenager, but he never managed to really make the grade, despite racking up 147 senior appearances over six years.

After a disappointing loan at Nottingham Forest, the versatile attacking midfielder was sold to Gladbach for €4 million last year. He is now set to join Chelsea-owned Strasbourg for the same figure after playing fewer than 600 minutes last season.

Reyna has had countless fitness issues over the past six years, which have prevented him from fulfilling his potential, but there are also question marks over his character. Rightly or wrongly, his 2022 World Cup escapade, when he was almost sent home and his parents caused a scene, perpetuated the image of a spoiled nepo baby.

Has Reyna changed?

USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino, who has now surprisingly extended his contract until 2030, raised eyebrows when he called up Reyna to his squad for the 2026 World Cup despite the 23-year-old's awful club season.

It was easily the coach's most contentious decision, but the Argentine insisted that Reyna simply had to be in the team because he has that special something that makes him a weapon no matter the opponent. "He’s a different player, different talent," Pochettino claimed.

Reyna certainly displayed flashes of his talent with a nicely taken goal in the dead-rubber against Turkey and his refreshing but short-lived impact after coming on against Belgium in the US's humiliating round of 16 defeat.

Ultimately, though, Reyna showed little to suggest that he should be a regular for the USMNT. But that is not necessarily a problem - if he is willing to accept a bit-part role. Can he do it? Possibly.

Although he still speaks with the kind of nonchalance that can easily be mistaken for arrogance, he was adamant before the World Cup that he was just happy to get a second chance. He did not expect to be a starter and was fully supportive of the team.

"I think everyone wants to play every minute of every game,” Reyna said. "But sometimes it doesn’t work like that. So, this time around, I’m just willing to do whatever it takes. Of course I want to play, but so do 26 guys, so it’s never that simple."

The 2022 incident must have been a coming-of-age moment for him. The next step for him is to stay fit and to consistently play at club level. That's the only way for him to have a genuine shot at reviving his once-promising USMNT career.

Reyna's last chance

It is perhaps not far-fetched to say that Strasbourg will be Reyna's final club at a good European level, unless he can miraculously overcome his fitness and form issues. It is very much a case of last chance saloon for him.

According to Sky Germany, the BlueCo-owned club see Reyna as a replacement for Valentin Barco, who has just joined sister club Chelsea in a €40 million transfer. The Argentine, in turn, is being touted as the successor to Enzo Fernandez.

This is interesting because Reyna has always been profiled as a traditional 10 or a makeshift winger, but perhaps that is not where his future lies. Indeed, Pochettino hinted at this when quizzed about the lack of defensive midfielders in his World Cup squad.

He suggested that, if need be, Reyna would be able to fill that role. So, could the American actually become more of a No.8 or No.6? Well, he doesn't have the legs of Barco, a left-back converted into a midfielder, or Fernandez.

But that may not be an issue if he has a water-carrier next to him, who is willing to do the dirty work while Reyna works his magic as a deep-lying playmaker. It could be a worthwhile experiment.

The biggest issue will be getting on the pitch in the first place. Strasbourg have various midfield options, and they are on a mission to get back into Europe after missing out last season despite spending big.

New boss Hugo Oliveira will therefore be under significant pressure, and it would only be natural for him to be reluctant to play someone who hasn't been fully fit for several years in an unfamiliar position.

It's clear that a lot of things would have to fall into place for Reyna to revive his European career. Don't be surprised if he ends up in Major League Soccer in 2027 or 2028.

Written by

Tom Weber | Writer

Tom Weber is an experienced, multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer as part of his freelance work for FootballTransfers.

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