Gio Reyna looks set to join Serie A side Parma, now under the management of former assistant coach to Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, Carlos Cuesta, from Borussia Dortmund.
Gio Reyna’s Career So Far
Giovanni Reyna, despite playing for the United States men’s national team, was born in Sunderland.
He was born to Danielle Reyna, who made six appearances for the United States women’s national team whilst playing for the University of North Carolina, and to Claudio Reyna, who made 112 appearances for the United States men’s national team as a midfielder, playing for Sunderland at the time.
At the age of five, he moved to New York, where in 2015, he joined the academy of New York City FC, which is 80% owned by the City Football Group, the owners of Manchester City. He played for the academy for four seasons before joining Borussia Dortmund’s academy in the summer of 2019.
Gio Reyna made an immediate breakthrough, not only in the academy but in the German giants’ first team. In January 2020, he made his first appearance for the club in the Bundesliga in a 5-3 win against Augsburg, where he came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute. This made him the youngest American to ever play in the league, beating former Dortmund player Christian Pulisic.
In his first season, he would go on to make 18 appearances in all competitions, and would score his first professional goal, which would come in the DFB-Pokal in a 3–2 defeat to Werder Bremen.
The following season proved to be the American’s best season of his career.
Reyna would make 46 appearances in all competitions. He would score seven goals and provide six assists, with nine goal involvements coming in the Bundesliga. Moreover, at the end of the season, Dortmund would win the DFB-Pokal, beating RB Leipzig in the final.
In the 2021/22 season, Reyna became the youngest player to make 50 Bundesliga appearances.
However, he suffered a season of setbacks due to frequent injuries. This would force him out for the most part until the start of the following season, where he was selected by US manager Gregg Berhalter for the 2022 FIFA World Cup squad.
Berhalter and Gio Reyna’s father, Claudio, played alongside each other for the United States and made appearances at both the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups.
Also, Berhalter’s wife, Rosalind Berhalter, was teammates and good friends with Danielle Reyna. That being said, after Gio’s lack of playing time at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, an investigation brought up regarding Reyna’s concerns about Berhalter’s past regarding an incident with his wife almost 30 years prior.
Since then, due to injuries, the American has struggled for consistent gametime, with loan spells at Nottingham Forest during the second half of the 2023/24 season.
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Americans in Serie A
The Italian top flight features many of the most prolific United States national team players. One such example is Christian Pulisic.
Much like Reyna, both players had played for Borussia Dortmund and been star players for their national team. Pulisic moved to the Italian giants in 2023, where he has since made 50 appearances in all competitions, scoring 26 goals.
The league also features Weston McKennie at Juventus and Yunus Musah, also at AC Milan.
Cuesta’s side are eager for the player to be amongst the squad. Parma start their season away at Juventus before their first home match against former Southampton manager Ivan Juric’s Atalanta.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Kirchner-Media
Recording Date: 18.08.2025