Revealed: How Nottingham Forest beat Fiorentina to Gio Reyna loan transfer – with USMNT star opting for Premier League move over Serie A switch

Nottingham Forest won the race for USMNT star Gio Reyna as they put a “higher offer” in place, with said deal leaving Fiorentina disappointed.

WHAT HAPPENED?
The United States international playmaker was on the move as the January transfer window swung shut. Borussia Dortmund opened themselves up to offers, with a loan agreement eventually pushed through after extending the 21-year-old’s contract in Germany.

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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Reyna had attracted interest from across Europe, with teams in Italy and France also said to be keen, but he ended up embracing a Premier League challenge at the City Ground. That switch impacted a number of other clubs, with Cagliari unable to lure Antonin Barak away from Fiorentina as the Serie A outfit were outmanoeuvred in their bid for Reyna.
WHAT WAS SAID ABOUT REYNA?
Cagliari sporting director Nereo Bonato has told Radiolina’s Il Cagliari in Diretta: “At club level and with the boy [Barak], there were all the agreements. It was an operation that was also suitable on an economic level. There was [Genoa star Albert] Gudmundsson and Reyna who were Fiorentina’s two big targets and we had seen in the Viola managers the desire to get there at all costs. Unfortunately, Nottingham Forest made a higher offer for Reyna and Genoa preferred to keep Gudmundsson. We had to adapt to these choices.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR REYNA?
Reyna has now followed in the footsteps of his father - former Manchester City and Sunderland midfielder Claudio – by heading to England. He made his Forest debut off the bench in a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth and will be hoping to make his home bow on Saturday when the Reds play host to Newcastle.

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