Gio Joins 'Best League in World' 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿; Late Transfers for Pax, Horvath, More 🇺🇸

“I’m ready to work hard, I’m ready for the challenge, and I can’t wait to attack the Premier League with this amazing club.”

—Gio Reyna, in his Nottingham Forest welcome video, after joining the English club on loan

Gio Jumps From Germany to England:

It finally happened. Gio Reyna 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (21; Bedford, NY) is out of Dortmund. For the next three-and-a-half months, at least.

The USMNT forward completed a January loan to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, which will see him join USMNT teammate Matt Turner in the Premier League for the rest of the season.

Reyna joins a Forest side in 16th place, hovering just above the relegation zone with a potential points deduction on the way as well. Still, given that the 21-year-old has made just four starts and played only 371 minutes so far this season for the Bundesliga side, it was a move that Reyna pushed for, and is very much looking forward to.

"I'm so excited,” said Reyna during his first Forest interview. “It's the best league in the world, it's the most entertaining, the most-watched. I've watched this league since I can remember so I'm just so happy to get started with this team and hope this team [can] win games and be successful."

(Interesting tidbit: Gio would watch Man City growing up — as his father Claudio spent four years with the club — and when asked about his Premier League idols, said: "I used to love watching Samir Nasri.")

Some of Reyna’s closest friends were also in agreement that a move was needed.

"Of course it's been a difficult time for him," said Joe Scally 🇩🇪 (21; Lake Grove, NY) when asked about Gio’s situation at Dortmund. "He deserves to play and deserves all the minutes he can get."

Despite the loan, it would seem the Black and Yellow still see Reyna as a key part of the club’s future, as they signed the American winger to a contract extension through 2026 on Wednesday.

While it might seem odd for Reyna to have been sent away to another team while still ostensibly having a bright future with the German club, this is a roster strategy that Dortmund has a history of success with. Key players like Shinji Kagawa, Mats Hummels, and even Jadon Sancho have departed, only to successfully rejoin the club later.

Maybe it’s just a case of Gio outwaiting current manager Edin Terzic. Time will tell. But in the meantime, all the best during your semester in England, Gio. 🙌

ALSO SEE: Rog and Rory Smith on Gio’s Forest Loan

🚨 AMERICAN ABROAD TRANSFER DEADLINE UPDATES: A few more at the close of the January window on Thursday … Paxten Aaronson 🇳🇱 (20; Medford, NJ) is going on loan to Vitesse Arnheim in the Eredivisie in order to get more playing time this season, but according to The Athletic’s Tom Bogert, Pax still factors into Eintracht Frankfurt’s long-term plans …  After a turbulent 24 hours for Duncan McGuire 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (22; Omaha, NE) — quite literally, as the USMNT forward was told while on a flight over the Atlantic that the very deal he was flying over for had fallen through — the 22-year-old from Omaha, Neb. will now complete a loan move to Blackburn Rovers in the English second tier, according to Fabrizio Romano … Having been left off Nottingham Forest’s Premier League roster this season, Ethan Horvath 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (28; Highlands Ranch, CO) is reportedly heading to Cardiff City in the Championship. Wonderful chance for the gent to prove himself in the Football League … With Horvath departing, Forest have completed a move for Strasbourg goalkeeper Matz Sels, the Belgian goalkeeper likely being brought in to compete with current starter Matt Turner 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (29; Park Ridge, NJ), who has hit a bit of a rough patch for Nottingham. No stranger to adversity, we have no doubt that Turner will face this new challenge with the elite resolve and self-belief he has had throughout his career. … Juventus have signed Southampton midfielder Carlos Alcaraz on loan for the rest of the season, a young box-to-box midfielder who could potentially challenge Weston McKennie for minutes with the Italian giants. 

Livin’ Large in Liga MX:

Pepi. Balo. Dike. Sargent. Wright and Pefok, even.

Now we have to ask … Where does Brandon Vazquez 🇲🇽 (25; Chula Vista, CA) fit on this list?

The USMNT striker made the move from FC Cincinnati to Liga MX side Monterrey just three weeks ago, but is already off to a blistering start for Rayados, with three goals in his first 176 minutes of action. (WATCH: One | Two | Three)

If American Mario Gomez keeps this up, Gregg Berhalter could have a selection headache at striker for the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals in March. One he’d certainly welcome, though.

More from Mexico … Cade Cowell 🇲🇽 (20; Ceres, CA) hasn’t scored for Chivas yet, but the American winger is looking every bit the real deal early on. Which is for the best, otherwise the Cali kid apparently runs the risk of getting pelted with stones.

“There’s always pros and cons with such a humongous fan base,” Cowell told The Athletic. “If you do well, you’re their Cristiano Ronaldo. If you do bad, they want to throw rocks at you.”

Big love to both forwards for testing their games abroad.

American Women Abroad:

Chelsea forward Mia Fishel 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (22; San Diego, CA) scored her second goal of the season in the Blues’ 4-0 win over Paris FC in the Champions League on Tuesday (WATCH) … Lindsey Horan 🇫🇷 (29; Golden, CO) started in Lyon’s 2-2 draw with Slavia Prague on Wednesday … Sixteen-year-old (!) Lily Yohannes 🇳🇱 (16; Springfield, VA) became the youngest player to start a Champions League game, and had an assist in Ajax’s 2-1 win against Roma (WATCH) … Emily Fox 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (25; Ashburn, VA) had an assist in Arsenal’s 2-0 win at Liverpool on Sunday, and was named Player Of The Match afterwards … Kristie Mewis 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (32; Weymouth, MA) was a sub in West Ham’s 2-1 win at Bristol City on Sunday.

📰 For more on women’s leagues around the world, make sure you subscribe to our The Women’s Game newsletter, which flies every Monday. You give us four minutes, we give you everything The Women’s Game.

News and Notes:

• Ruben Loftus-Cheek bagged a brace for Milan in their 2-2 draw with Bologna on Saturday, but after the match he heaped praise upon former Chelsea teammate Christian Pulisic 🇮🇹 (25; Hershey, PA). “Pulisic has always been a top player. Obviously it didn’t work out for him too well at Chelsea, but you can see that, at Milan, he has this new lease on life. He’s happy, playing his football and he has been a key figure for us this season, with his goals and how he plays on the right side. He’s a fantastic player, we all know this and hope he continues his form.”

• More San Siro Sweetness: Puli and Yunus Musah 🇮🇹 (21; London, ENG) guess at each other’s footballing heroes, a must-watch video if only for Musah’s laugh … And the look on CP11’s face at the end. 😂

• Weston McKennie 🇮🇹 (25; Little Elm, TX) made a bit of a name for himself in Italian food circles by creating a blasphemous pasta recipe consisting of tomato sauce, pesto sauce, and chicken. After this post-match conversation with a Juve fan, it seems that it’s a hill Wes is willing to die on. May as well drive this bus all the way to Flavor Town and throw some ranch dressing in there as well.

• Gianluca Busio 🇮🇹 (21; Greensboro, NC) scored in his third straight game for Venezia on Saturday. We think? 😶‍🌫️

• Sergiño Dest 🇳🇱 (23; Almere, NED) notched his fifth assist in all comps for PSV in their 2-0 win against his hometown club Almere City (WATCH). COMING SOON: LISTEN TO ROG’S INTERVIEW WITH SERGINO. THE PODCAST DROPS ON THE EARLY KICKOFF FEED ON TUESDAY.

• Kevin Paredes 🇩🇪 (20; South Riding, VA) scored his second Bundesliga goal of the season in Wolfsburg’s 1-1 draw with Köln draw on Saturday (WATCH). DMV Donovan!

• Griffin Yow 🇧🇪 (21; Clifton, VA) had a brace in Westerlo’s 4-2 win over Cercle Brugge on Tuesday. That’s five goals and two assists in 13 appearances in the Belgian top flight for the former DC United winger. DMV Donovan Lite!

• Rokas Pukstas 🇭🇷 (19; Stillwater, OK) scored his fourth goal of the season in Hajduk Split’s 2-1 loss to Rijeka (WATCH).

• Emmanuel Sabbi 🇫🇷 (26; Libertyville, IL) slammed home a pen for his fourth goal of the season in Le Havre’s 3-3 draw at Lorient (WATCH).

• Johnny Cardoso 🇪🇸 (22; Denville, NJ) put up some midfield numbers in Real Betis’ 1-0 win at Mallorca on Saturday.

• Gaga Slonina 🇧🇪 (19; Addison, IL) pulled off his second-straight shutout for Eupen in their 1-0 upset win over Royal Antwerp on Sunday.

• Huge congrats to Cameron Carter-Vickers 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (26; Southend-on-Sea, ENG) on signing a new contract with Brodge’s Celtic through 2029.

Parting Shots:

We’re finishing ASU with a bit of a different story this week, but GFOP watke recently unearthed a hilarious article from a 2002 edition of the Central New Jersey Home News, in which Claudio Reyna is asked about spending a high-school summer vacation in Buenos Aires with none other than Gregg Berhalter. Reyna talks about how the two spent much of their free time playing one-on-one basketball, and when asked how he fared despite GGG’s three-inch height advantage, the former Sunderland midfielder says that out of roughly 4,000 games they played, Berhalter “never beat me once.” US Soccer’s answer to The Office basketball game.