‘Agreement done’ – Fabrizio Romano reveals major Serie A move for Sunderland-born international with 32 caps
Gio Reyna – born in Sunderland and son of former Black Cats midfielder Claudio – is closing in on a move to Serie A side Parma after agreeing personal terms, according to reports.
Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano revealed the news on Tuesday night, tweeting: “Agreement done on personal terms between Gio Reyna and Parma. Club to club agreement getting closer with Borussia Dortmund.” The 22-year-old is currently contracted to Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund but spent part of last season on loan at Nottingham Forest, making nine Premier League appearances.
Now, it appears Reyna is ready for a fresh start in Italy as Parma prepare for life back in the top flight following promotion. According to multiple sources, Borussia Dortmund are open to letting the American international leave this summer as they continue reshaping their squad.
Reyna’s connection to Sunderland adds a unique subplot to the move. Born in the North East during his father’s stint at the Stadium of Light in the early 2000s, the midfielder has since gone on to become one of the brightest young talents in American football. The midfielder played nine times in the Premier League while on loan at Nottingham Forest during the 2023-24 season.
Despite a stop-start few seasons plagued by injuries and inconsistency, Reyna still carries significant pedigree, both on and off the pitch. His imminent move to Parma could be a chance to relaunch his career in one of Europe’s most historic leagues. Reyna played 25 times in all competitions for Dortmund last season but featured on just 15 occasions in the Bundesliga.
Who is Gio Reyna?
Giovanni Reyna is the son of Claudio Reyna – the former Sunderland, Rangers and Manchester City midfielder – and Danielle Reyna, herself a former United States women’s international. Born in Sunderland in 2002, Gio moved to the United States aged five and joined the New York City FC academy in 2015 before making the leap to Borussia Dortmund in 2019.
He made his professional debut at 17 and became the youngest goalscorer in DFB-Pokal history during the 2019–20 season. In total, he’s made 105 appearances for Dortmund in the Bundesliga, scoring 15 goals, with additional experience in the Champions League and domestic cup competitions.
Internationally, Reyna has been capped 32 times by the United States, scoring eight goals, and was named the U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year in 2020. He was part of the USMNT squad that won the CONCACAF Nations League in 2021, 2023 and 2024, and was voted Player of the Tournament earlier this year. Reyna is known for his technical quality, versatility across attacking midfield roles, and creative vision – traits that Parma will be hoping to harness as they aim to cement their Serie A status.
Fabrizio Romano Confirms Big Sunderland Transfer News
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Granit Xhaka, the 32-year-old midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen, wants to sign for Sunderland.
The aforementioned journalist explained that the Black Cats have already submitted their first official offer to the German club to secure the services of the Swiss player.
While noting that no agreement between clubs exists yet, he made clear Xhaka’s intention to return to the Premier League and play at the Stadium of Light.
Just a few hours ago, Sacha Tavolieri revealed that Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus convinced Xhaka and his family to move to England.
Fabrizio Romano confirms big Sunderland transfer news
“Sunderland have presented their first official bid to Bayer for Granit Xhaka,” Romano began explaining through his Twitter (X) account.
“No club-to-club agreement yet, but Bayer are aware of Xhaka’s desire to join SAFC and negotiations continue to agree soon,” added the journalist.
Therefore, according to Romano’s own words, “it can be matter of time” before the Black Cats officially confirm Xhaka’s return to the Premier League.
While Sacha Tavolieri reported that Bayer and Sunderland are negotiating to close the transfer for around €10m, German newspaper BILD has different information.
The German outlet indicates that Leverkusen are willing to let their midfielder go if the interested club pays about €20m for his signature.
Thus, if negotiations continue progressing positively, as Romano and Tavolieri suggest, it’s likely the clubs will reach an agreement for an intermediate figure between €10m and €20m.
Last season Xhaka played 33 Bundesliga matches, starting in all of them and appearing three times in SofaScore’s Team of the Week.
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