'He might have the whole summer off' - Alexi Lalas questions Gio Reyna's status, says USMNT midfielder might not feature in either Club World Cup or Gold Cup

While he has made 15 appearances for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga this season, Giovanni Reyna has only played once for the club since early March. His future is uncertain, prompting former USMNT standout Alexi Lalas to question whether Dortmund plan on taking him to the Club World Cup.

“When it comes to Giovanni Reyna, I think the real interesting question - he continues to not be involved,” Lalas said on his State of the Union podcast. “We know he's been persona non grata when it comes to Dortmund now for a long time, but how does that play into this summer, relative to the Club World Cup, which - if he's still on the books - he would be theirs and available?

“And we've talked about how between the Gold Cup and the Club World Cup, the Club World Cup takes precedent for players like [Tim] Weah and [Weston] McKennie over there in Juventus, right? So, do you bring him? Do you not bring him? Do you just let him go and play?... And who knows, when all is said and done, he might have the whole summer off. He might not be part of the Gold Cup roster or the Club World Cup roster.”

The former USMNT defender also wondered whether Mauricio Pochettino has any plans for Reyna at the Gold Cup.

“That conversation would have had to have been had already,” Lalas said. “Pochettino would have reached out and said, ‘Hey, look, not for nothing, I'm seeing what's happening here, I would like to have him.’ Or he hasn't because, doesn't matter if he's available, he's going in a different direction this summer.

“I'm not saying going a different direction 2026, but he maybe he's using the Gold Cup to say, 'You know what, you haven't done the job. You need to get your you-know-what sorted out when it comes to a club going forward. And I'll take another look at you come the come the fall. And I'm going to go with some different people because I can't afford to waste this this tournament, this summer and this opportunity that we have this summer.' "

While he was once heralded as a talented prospect, things haven’t quite gone to plan for Reyna over the last few years. The 22-year-old has struggled with injuries and inconsistent playing time. That includes a failed loan spell with Nottingham Forest. Borussia Dortmund, if you can believe some reports, have told him that he can leave this summer, especially as he has only one year left on his current contract.

Pochettino's is expected to announce his Gold Cup squad next week. Both the Gold Cup and the Club World Cup will be held in the U.S. starting next month.