In the latest transfer news it has been reported that USMNT’s Gio Reyna and his Borussia Dortmund teammate Erling Haaland are being lined up by Manchester City.
[ MORE: How to watch PL in the USA ]
Let’s take a closer look at this juicy report, shall we?
USMNT fans, stop freaking out. Stop it.
It is reported by 90min that Manchester City would offer well over $142 million to sign Haaland and Reyna this summer.
Haaland, 20, is said to have a $90 million release clause in his contract for the summer of 2022, but City want to get in ahead of that. While Reyna, 18, would sign for Manchester City this summer too but remain at Borussia Dortmund for another season on loan.
Per the report, Manchester City are banking on the fact that Haaland and Reyna have a strong connection with the club as Haaland’s father, Alfe Inge, and Reyna’s father, USMNT legend Claudio, both played for the Premier League side.
Reyna and Haaland Jr. have a very strong connection on and off the pitch at Dortmund as Haaland refers to Gio as the ‘American Dream’ due to his playmaking skills. The duo often link up together to create and score goals and seem to have an almost telepathic understanding on the pitch.
Digging deeper, is this a good move for Haaland and Reyna?
On paper, yes.
With Sergio Aguero likely moving on this summer, Man City need to sign a new center forward and Haaland would be perfect for the way they play. Like Aguero, he could hover around the box and clean up the numerous chances created for him each game.
The towering Norwegian striker is clinical but also drops deeper to link up play well and it is clear that City are the frontrunners to sign him, even though every top club in Europe would love to snap him up.
As for Reyna, well, the details of this move would make a lot of sense. He’s still only 18 and is regarded as one of the top young playmakers in Europe. But the USMNT starlet need to keep playing regularly to reach that next level where Haaland is at.
If Reyna turned up at City this summer, he’d find it hard to start ahead of Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and others in the attacking midfield positions. But if he spent another year on loan at Dortmund, he’d been in a much better spot to make a big impact for Guardiola’s side from the summer of 2022 onwards.
Reyna is clearly the kind of silky playmaker who can thrive in Guardiola’s system and USMNT fans should be salivating at the prospect of this deal, as City are in the hunt for the quadruple with their newfound defensive solidity demoralizing opponents.
When it comes to finances, Manchester City would probably have to cough up closer to $200 million to sign this duo but it’s clear they have the resources to do that and both players would make them younger, and even hungrier, than they already are for success.