In recent years, a growing number of American players have made the move to Europe from the MLS in search of better opportunities. With the transfer window soon opening, the debate about Giovanni Reyna’s future has become a hot topic for discussion. Former USMNT star Alexi Lalas argues that being a regular in the MLS is much better for Giovanni Reyna than a bench warmer in Europe. 

Reyna, now 22, is in his sixth season at Signal Iduna Park hasn’t played for more than 600 minutes in his last four seasons. Injuries have led to only 13 league starts for Dortmund and 2 during his time at Nottingham Forest. Whether it’s time for a trip back home or a different league, comes down to the American star, who last made it to the starting XI for Dortmund more than a year ago. 

Speaking on his ‘State of the Union Podcast’ Lalas believes it’s time for the MLS Academy graduate to come back to his origins. “Pochettino has come in and said, ‘Hey, I don’t care where you play, I just want you to play’, and the reality is that you need to play,” says Lalas, believing that if he wants to play for the USMNT, he has to get more minutes on the pitch.

Mauricio Pochettino recently raised stock for the MLS, after publicly announcing that it did not matter to him where his players played. As long as they put up solid club performances, they could earn a spot on the men’s national team. Lalas also suggested that Reyna could replace Riqui Puig, who is likely to miss next season for LA Galaxy due to an ACL injury.

Last January, multiple clubs all over Europe, including Sevilla, Marseille, and Benfica, among others, expressed their interest in the Dortmund star. Let’s not forget that a fit Reyna is a solid player, having played around 2,000 minutes in his first season. But would his career have unfolded differently had he stayed in the MLS?

“You’re not a Soccer practicer,” says Landon Donovan on Giovanni Reyna 

MLS and USMNT legend Landon Donovan made a bold claim stating that Giovanni Reyna would have played over 300 games had he never left New York City FC. “You’re not a soccer-contracted person. You’re a soccer player. Do you want to play soccer or not?” asked Donovan on the ‘Unfiltered Soccer Podcast’.

Ex-USMNT star Eric Wynalda was quick to defend the Borussia Dortmund player, claiming that young players have ambitions to play better soccer. Moreover, only 4 players from the top division of soccer in the United States cemented a spot in the USMNT’s recent roster. 

So perhaps another loan move for Reyna or will he take the long flight back home? Once the youngest Bundesliga player to make a hat trick of assists, everyone knows the potential, and with him still far from his prime, a move away could be the change of tide for Reyna. Do you think Giovanni Reyna should move back to the MLS? Let us know in the comment below.