Even if Nottingham Forest is still hopeful of attracting the USA international to the Premier League, Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic maintains that Gio Reyna has not yet requested to leave the Bundesliga powerhouses.
HITC Football is aware that Nottingham Forest continues to think they will prevail in the competition to sign a player who was once thought to be on par with Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland at Signal Iduna Park, even in spite of Marseille’s interest.
Reyna’s reputation has suffered greatly over the past few seasons due to injuries; it’s possible that the elegant attacking midfield player will spend the remainder of the season fighting for his Premier League spot while Bellingham and Haaland compete for the biggest titles in football.
Forest, HITC has been told, have agreed a deal in principle to bring the £13 million-rated Reyna to the City Ground for the remainder of 2023/24.
Terzic, however, insists that the son of former Sunderland and Manchester City man Claudio Reyna has not yet informed the German giants of his desire to leave in the final week of the window, with a bit more time required to make up his mind.
Nottingham Forest still hope to sign Gio Reyna
“Gio is fit and healthy, and therefore an option for the starting eleven with the absences we have,” Terzic tells BVB Buzz, a rare start on the cards during Sunday’s home clash with VFL Bochum.
“Gio hasn’t approached me and expressed a desire to leave. Therefore, it is not an issue for me at the moment.”
Reyna has been included in Terzic’s XI on only two occasions so far this term. And while former England international Danny Murphy has reservations about the youngster’s physicality – or a lack thereof – Forest could potentially get their mitts on a genuine match-winner if they can complete a deal for a player who struck up such a fearsome understanding with Haaland not so long ago.
Reyna, while still a teenager, scored seven goals and set up eight more in 2020/21, then-Dortmund boss Marco Rose labelling him a player with ‘world-class’ capabilities.
Erling Haaland is a huge fan
“He’s 17-and-a-half soon. At such a young age to be so calm on the ball and play for such a big team, it’s very fascinating to see how calm he is,” the Man City talisman told ESPN at the time.
“He doesn’t care about anything. He just jumps right into it. He’s a top talent, and we’re lucky to have him here.
“The American Dream, I call him that.”
Terzic, meanwhile, has been tipped to follow Jurgen Klopp from Dortmund to Liverpool. The Anfield boss confirmed on Friday that he will leave at the end of this season.
