Despite his brilliance for USMNT, Reyna hasn’t started a game for Nottingham Forest. Why?

When Gio Reyna moved from Borussia Dortmund to Nottingham Forest in January, the 21-year-old hoped the consistent top-level minutes he badly needed would follow.

The USMNT attacking midfielder had started just one of Dortmund’s 19 Bundesliga games in 2023-24 and if he wanted to begin fulfilling his potential, a move made sense.

Yet since joining Premier League club Forest, he has played just 39 minutes in all competitions and not started a single game.

His move to England has raised many questions. Why did Forest sign him if only to use him so sparingly? Is there an issue behind the scenes? Why can’t the gifted American replicate his sparkling performances on the international stage in his domestic career?

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Last Sunday, Reyna scored the goal that ensured the USMNT beat Mexico to win the CONCACAF Nations League final. With a smile on his face and a medal around his neck, the disparity between his fortunes for club and country seemed more pronounced than ever. The victory followed his appearance against Jamaica last Thursday, in the semi-final, when he came on as a second-half substitute and provided two vital assists as the U.S. won 3-1 in extra time.

The USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter was full of praise for Reyna. “I’ve spoken so much about how talented he is, and how he can unlock defenses and he just has these qualities that are really good,” he said. “And I also believe, and I’ve said this before, that he can be midfielder. And I think that’s the next evolution for him, because he can control the tempo of the game so well and he can make final passes when he gets the ball in pockets in transition, and he’s a good finisher and he’s a good final passer.

“So he’s got a ton of qualities and we’re really hoping that, like many players we spoke about before, they use this as momentum to take back to their clubs and really kick on the rest of the season because we know what type of trouble (Forest is) in. I really believe that he can help them.”

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Former Dortmund team-mate and Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham commented on Reyna’s Instagram post celebrating the victory over Mexico, saying: ‘cream always rises to the top’.

So, why has Reyna struggled to make an impact in England so far if he is a proven performer for his country? And will he have a part to play between now and the end of the season, as Forest face nine games that will decide if they stay in the top flight?

When asked if he could carry the momentum from USMNT’s win back to Forest, Reyna said: “It’s the adaptation period in the Premier League, and then I was actually not available for a few games through sickness. So yeah, I hope so. I hope so. It’s good to get minutes here and back at Forest we have a really important eight or nine games left.

“I’m looking forward to getting back there and just playing in the best competition in the world and helping the club stay up from relegation.”

Ultimately, despite his lack of playing time, Forest still view Reyna as a talented young player who possesses creative flair and has an eye for a pass. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo has always regarded him as a useful option. But he has not been utilised very frequently.

This has as much to do with Forest’s other options as with Reyna. Morgan Gibbs-White, who operates in the No 10 role for Nuno’s side, is one of the most important players in the team. So much so that the prospect of losing the former Wolverhampton Wanderers player through injury was one of the key factors in Forest signing Reyna on loan.

And, within the 4-2-3-1 formation that Forest prefer, former Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga has delivered five goals and seven assists this season, largely from the right-hand side.

Then there is Callum Hudson-Odoi who, like Reyna, was once regarded as being one of the brightest talents of his generation. Hudson-Odoi came through the ranks at Chelsea and made his England debut at 18 in March 2019.

He has — so far at least — not yet consistently fulfilled that potential but he has shown regular, tantalising signs that he is capable of doing so during a promising first season at Forest. His habit of cutting in from the left side to deliver curling right-foot shots has helped him to score four goals.

Even Hudson-Odoi, though, has found himself on the bench in three of the last four games — with Divock Origi, the Belgian international and scorer of a goal in the 2019 Champions League final for Liverpool, having produced some improved performances in that attacking three.

In short, Reyna has frequently found himself fourth or even fifth in the pecking order for a starting place at Forest. The club may be battling relegation, but their squad is more reflective of a mid-table team.

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On top of this, the late change when it came to the details of his signing has also altered the dynamic for Reyna in England.

Throughout the negotiations, Forest had pushed for an option-to-buy clause to be included in the transfer. But, as the clock ticked down towards the end of the window, no such option could be agreed and it ended up being a straight loan deal until the end of the season.

Given this, it is worth remembering how former Forest head coach Steve Cooper talked about the dynamic changing for his side when they were promoted to the Premier League in the summer of 2022.

While he had relied on several loan signings to strengthen their play-off push in the Championship — including young players like Djed Spence and James Garner — he questioned the value of helping other clubs develop their best young players by giving them game time at Forest, now that they were in the top flight.

If Forest had the option to make Reyna’s move permanent, there would have been greater value in giving him game time; in helping him to evolve. There would have been long-term benefits to Forest.

Now the decision of whether to pick him or not is based solely around what he can offer the team now, rather than in the future.

He is not at Forest simply as a favour to his influential agent Jorge Mendes, who Reyna signed with in January, either. Nuno may be a Mendes’ client but it is not a case of accommodating a player just because of that — the Forest boss genuinely values the American.

And, as his recent performances for USMNT have shown, he remains a talented player and can still offer a lot to the club.

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So now, buoyed by his impressive displays on international duty, there is still time for him to contribute in Nottingham and the narrative of his loan move can still be rewritten — but time is running out.

The positive for him, as he tries to reset after the international break, is that there is no underlying story behind his inactivity. It is not that the manager doesn’t rate him or that he is a difficult character. His lack of game time is a result of circumstances and timing, both of which have been out of Reyna’s control.

As he showed with his star turns for USMNT over the last week, Reyna can make things change for the better if he gets the chance. Forest will be hoping he can do it for them too, if given the opportunity.

(Additional contributor: Paul Tenorio)

(Top photos: Getty Images)