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Many Aston Villa fans have been venting on Twitter following a post from the club detailing the disappointment suffered by Villa duo Jack Grealish and Tyrone Mings after England’s crushing Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy.

Plenty of discourse centred around the lack of utilisation in relation to Grealish, who registered 19 goal contributions in 26 appearances for the club in 2020/21 [Transfermarkt].

In the 172 minutes that he played at the Euros, the 25-year-old contributed with two assists in five outings [UEFA.com] and played a cameo yet important role in England’s run to the final.

Meanwhile, Mings started the first two group games at the finals but played just 11 minutes thereafter and was not utilised at all in the knockout stages [Transfermarkt].

The comparative lack of involvement for the Villa duo at Euro 2020 duly had many of the club’s supporters venting at England manager Gareth Southgate.

Aston Villa fans react:

Replying to Villa’s official Twitter account, here is what some Villa fans had to say about the lack of minutes for Grealish and Mings at Euro 2020:

“Don’t worry lads, Southgate will be gone soon enough and then you won’t have to put up with his pathological picking of his favourites. How Mount got more minutes than Jack is utterly beyond belief, last night was embarrassing and showed us just how inept Southgate is”

Credit: @CreaneyTom

“Criminal that Grealish got less minutes than Mount, who got more minutes than Grealish, Sancho and Foden combined”

Credit: @tom_avfc1

“They were both mismanaged, get them back to VP under a proper coach Dean Smith”

Credit: @ClassyHenri

“No other country in the world would leave Jack on the bench. Very proud of how our captain conducted himself. #UTV”

Credit: @AndyCWelch

“Your Villa family are incredibly proud of you both.”

Credit: @Helen_Villa44

“Not sure how Mount is above Grealish in the England pecking order. Baffling tbh”

Credit: @DMayLovell

In other news, many Aston Villa fans have been reacting to an update on this transfer pursuit.

United States women's national team veteran Becky Sauerbrunn endured a "rough day" as her mistake set Mexico on the way to a shock Gold Cup win.

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• USWNT suffered historic loss to Mexico on Monday
• Sauerbrunn error helped La Tri take the lead
• Defender speaks after costly incident

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The USWNT hadn't lost on home soil to CONCACAF opposition since 2000 but Mexico started well in their group stage clash on Monday night and Sauerbrunn's error helped gift La Tri a deserved goal, Lizbeth Ovalle capitalising with a great finish. It took until stoppage time for Pedro Lopez's side to make it two but Mayra Pelayo's wonderstrike was worth waiting for as Mexico beat the U.S. for just the second time ever.

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• WHAT SAUERBRUNN SAID

  Speaking after the game, Sauerbrunn said: "I made a mistake. It's very obvious that it was all on me. I probably should have done anything [other] than what I did.

  "As a veteran, you have some rough days at the office and tonight is definitely a rough day. But luckily, you’ll have another day at the office and it’s just what you make out of it."

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It was a disappointing defeat and performance from the USWNT but Twila Kilgore's team had already qualified for the Gold Cup quarter-finals and can still have a successful tournament. Finishing second to Mexico in Group A will make that success harder to attain, though, as a trickier opponent in the knockout stages likely awaits.

Some Everton fans have been left to flock to a transfer update on Haris Seferovic.

According to Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness), Everton have made contact with Benfica over the potential signing of the striker in the summer window.

However, they are demanding a fee in the region of €30m (£25.7m) for his signature, with Wolves also interested.

Seferovic is a similar type of striker to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, as he often uses his six-foot-two-inches frame to try and wrestle defenders, exemplified when he scored two headers against France as Switzerland progressed in their Euro 2020 last 16 tie.

At 29 years of age as well, it would not seem the smartest idea for the Merseyside club to spend that much money on a similar player, and instead that could be used to buy a pacier forward or invest in another part of the squad.

Everton fans on Seferovic transfer update

These Toffees supporters urged the Blues not to sign Seferovic after the transfer update on him was shared on Twitter:

“Another Tosun? Too old, too slow for the Prem? Better options out there surely?”

Credit: @rlfansSaddened

“He’s had more clubs than Tiger Woods, there’s a reason for that I’d imagine.”

Credit: @0Chriscav2

“Not a chance. Would take Steven Zuber on the cheap.”

Credit: @enviroquirks

“Please no lol”

Credit: @tomdean93

“Give me Ivan Toney or Daryl Dyke instead”

Credit: @1878_Shirts

“30 next birthday..! Rumours I’d say. Goal scoring record for Swiss is very average..”

Credit: @Kieranbuckley5

In other news, find out what recent transfer update has Evertonians talking here!

Aston Villa look set to be one of the busiest sides in the transfer window with the Midlands club already signing Emiliano Buendia.

They followed that up with approaches for both Emile Smith Rowe and James Ward-Prowse with Steve Howey claiming that the latter would be a fantastic signing for Dean Smith’s side.

Ward-Prowse is so often the integral cog that keeps Southampton ticking over and his set pieces are in a bracket of their own with Pep Guardiola even labelling him as “the best” set-piece taker in the Premier League. So, if Villa could follow up their interest in him with a solid offer, Smith’s side could make a serious push for the top seven next season.

In the midfield, Villa already have the likes of Douglas Luiz and John McGinn but Ward-Prowse would bring a swagger on the pitch and something a little bit different on the pitch – especially with Jack Grealish around to win free-kicks in dangerous areas.

It would certainly not be a simple deal to get done as the midfielder has been at Southampton his whole career and he is also club captain, but if Villa could bring him to the Midlands then he would certainly be a fantastic acquisition, that’s according to Howey, who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“I’m not sure what you could do to prise Ward-Prowse away from Southampton because he’s been there so long and he’s also captain and pretty much their main man.

“I’ve always liked him so for a team like Aston Villa to get him, I think it would be fantastic.”

Villa appeared to be making a surprising push for a European spot last season before Jack Grealish’s shin injury ruined their end to the season as they won just three of the 12 Premier League games that their captain missed.

It would be a huge disaster for the Saints this summer if they ended the transfer window without both Ward-Prowse and star striker Danny Ings, who has also been linked with a move away as his contract is set to expire in 2022.

It's 'likely' that England captain Leah Williamson will have to withdraw from the Lionesses' February squad, says Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall.

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• Injury saw Williamson miss Arsenal vs Man Utd
• Gunners boss Eidevall says problem is 'minor'
• But it's 'likely' she'll withdraw from England squad

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Williamson recently returned to action after nine months out with an anterior cruciate ligament rupture but suffered what Eidevall described as a 'minor' hamstring injury ahead of Arsenal's huge clash with Manchester United on Saturday, ruling her out of a game that the Gunners emphatically won 3-1.

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  WHAT EIDEVALL SAID

  Speaking to reporters after the match, Eidevall was asked if Williamson would have to withdraw from the England squad, which will meet up on Monday ahead of games in Spain against Austria and Italy. "I think it's likely that that will be the case, but I don't know yet," he responded.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  England will already be without one centre-back in February as Millie Bright continues to recover from a knee injury of her own. Williamson's absence could well open the door for Lotte Wubben-Moy to get some action then, with the 25-year-old one of Arsenal's top performers in Saturday's win over United.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Arsenal sold-out the Emirates Stadium for the first time for a Women's Super League fixture on Saturday, setting a new league-record attendance in the process.

The Red Devils were toothless without their Danish goal machine and deservedly lost to Marco Silva's side, who had not won away for over six months

Manchester United's mini-revival appears to have been built on sand after all, as it took just a couple of injuries for Erik ten Hag's side to sink to their first defeat of 2024 as they were beaten 2-1 at home by a Fulham side who had not won away since the opening day of the season.

Missing the in-form Rasmus Hojlund and the dependable Luke Shaw, United made a flat start and failed to score in the first half for the first time in eight matches. Diogo Dalot struck the post, but Fulham looked more dangerous, with Alex Iwobi missing the target twice and Rodrigo Muniz hitting a post.

Fulham deservedly took the lead early in the second half through a thumping effort from Calvin Bassey, and United had only half-chances to score until Harry Maguire stabbed home from close-range in the 89th minute. With nine minutes added on and Bruno Fernandes whipping up the crowd, Fulham were prepared for an onslaught.

But instead it was the Londoners who had the last laugh, Iwobi making it third time lucky and slotting into the bottom corner after United were too slow to shut down a visiting counter-attack.

Ten Hag's side are now eight points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa and could be six behind Tottenham in fifth if Spurs win their game in hand, giving them a mountain to climb if they want to qualify for the Champions League.

GOAL rates United's players from Old Trafford…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Andre Onana (7/10):

  Did well to keep out a header from Lukic and a curler from Pereira. Couldn't do much about Bassey's thunderous drive.

  Diogo Dalot (6/10):

  Clipped the post from the edge of the area. Crossing wasn't good enough and struggled to get at Robinson.

  Raphael Varane (5/10):

  Iwobi had the run of him in the first half

  Harry Maguire (6/10):

  Booked for a late and dangerous challenge on Lukic, but prevented Fulham from creating even more danger. Grabbed the equaliser but was then easily dribbled past on the counter before Iwobi pounced to get the winner.

  Victor Lindelof (5/10):

  A huge downgrade on Shaw. Offered nothing in attack and too easy for Fulham to get past.

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  Midfield

  Kobbie Mainoo (5/10):

  Made a few good challenges to thwart Fulham but not nearly as assured or influential as in recent weeks.

  Casemiro (5/10):

  Made a silly error against Lukic which gifted Fulham a counterattack. His day ended prematurely following a clash of heads with the Serbian midfielder.

  Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

  Another shoddy display in what has become a worrying run of form for the captain. Failed to control a through-ball which would have put him clean through on goal and created very few promising moments, aside from a late flurry which saw him set up the equaliser and force Leno into a low save.

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  Attack

  Omari Forson (4/10):

  A difficult full debut and couldn't do anything of note in attack. He did look tidy though, and could be better suited to a midfield role.

  Marcus Rashford (4/10):

  Another pitiful display at centre-forward, offering none of the hold-up play of Hojlund or the hard-work. Backed away from a 50-50 ball in the first half which led to a big chance for Fulham.

  Alejandro Garnacho (7/10):

  The only United outfield player who can be proud of their performance. Tested Leno with a powerful shot and had another goal-bound effort blocked by Robinson.

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  Subs & Manager

  Scott McTominay (5/10):

  Hauled on earlier than usual due to Casemiro's head injury. Barely got a sniff of danger.

  Christian Eriksen (6/10):

  Made his first appearance since January 14 and at first was slow and sloppy. Got more effective in the final few minutes.

  Amad Diallo (N/A):

  Replaced Mainoo in the 80th minute.

  Antony (N/A):

  Came on in the 98th minute.

  Erik ten Hag (5/10):

  Took a bold move in starting 19-year-old Forson but it did not work. His substitutions helped get the equaliser, but ultimately his team looked weak with just a couple of injuries.

Ricardo Pepi was wasteful in his first Eredivisie start, while USMNT stars Malik Tillman and Sergino Dest performed well in a PSV win over Heracles.

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• Ricardo Pepi earns first Eredivisie start
• Tillman and Dest both also in XI
• PSV defeats Heracles

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ricardo Pepi earned his first-ever PSV start in the Eredivisie Friday, playing 90 minutes in their 2-0 victory over Heracles. An early red card for their opposition gave them a 77-minute advantage throughout the match, but overall, it was a dominant performance from the Dutch side.

  USMNT duo Malik Tillman and Sergino Dest also got nods from the start, with the former notching an assist before being removed 61-minutes in ahead of a crucial Champions League knockout match next week.

  Dutch hero Luuk de Jong scored his 19th goal of the league campaign, continuing his incredible form across all competitions. Pepi, however, failed to take advantage of his big moment, with eight total shots, but no goal to count for.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  De Jong once again rose to the occasion – literally – for PSV with a booming header to make it 1-0 in the 18th minute. Five minutes earlier, though, Heracles were reduced to 10-men after Bryan Limbombe was sent off for violent conduct after a studs-up challenge. Olivier Boscagli doubled PSV's lead in the 56th minute off another Tillman assist.

  Peter Bosz used every substitute available to him on the evening ahead of their upcoming European clash, and took advantage of the ability to rotate early due to their man-advantage.

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  USMNT IMPACT

  For Pepi, this was his big moment to show Gregg Berhalter that he deserves to be a shout as the starting striker for the USMNT, but he lacked a clinical final touch all day. He did, however, find the back of the net from an offside position at one point. Regardless, it was a missed opportunity ahead of this March's CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against Jamaica.

  For Dest and Tillman, they played their roles well, but neither truly stood out. Of the three Americans, Tillman was the most lively and arguably the most creative. His assist was crafty, although, it wasn't game-altering for PSV. Berhalter will be happy to see all three in the XI and will surely be keeping an eye on this week's forthcoming UCL match for the Dutch side.

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• GOAL'S RATINGS

  Ricardo Pepi (6/10): He had what felt like chance after chance, but just could not find his finishing boots.

  Malik Tillman (7/10): He had one incredibly bright moment in the first half, and followed it up with the assist to double their lead. Not a life-changing performance, but he did well.

  Sergino Dest (6/10): Creative in the attack, but with Heracles down a man, wasn't tested much.

The Polish forward found the net twice to end a six-game scoreless streak and seal a come-from-behind win for the Blaugrana

Robert Lewandowski scored both the equalising and winning goals to lead Barcelona to a comeback win over Alaves. The striker was central to a dramatic turnaround, as the Blaugrana turned an early deficit into a 2-1 win.

Alaves found the net with the first attack of the game. The visitors swept the ball from right to left, before youngster Samu Omorodion met a guided cross for an easy finish just 18 seconds into the game. He should have made it two after 14 minutes, but angled his shot wide of the post after running through on goal. Omorodion fired over again 10 minutes later, serving as a constant nuisance for the Blaugrana back line.

Barca had their chances in the first half. Lewandowski could have equalised after latching onto an Ilkay Gundogan chip, but scuffed his left-footed effort. Joao Felix offered creativity down the left.

And the Blaugrana found form in the second half. Lewandowski grabbed the leveler, flicking a signature header into the far corner. He bagged the winner, too, driving a spot-kick into the roof of the net after substitute Ferran Torres had his heels clipped in the box. Once again, the Blaugrana was well short of their best, but kept themselves in the La Liga title race with what could turn out to be a vital three points.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from the Olympic Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Marc-Andre ter Stegen (6/10):

  Will be disappointed to be beaten from close range on the Alaves opener. Had little else to do.

  Ronald Araujo (6/10):

  Solid without being excellent at right-back. He can't work his defensive magic as well from there, and doesn't necessarily offer attacking thrust, either. Seems wasted in the role.

  Jules Kounde (6/10):

  Too easily beaten to the cross at the near post for the Alaves opener. Barged off the ball and nearly gifted the visitors a second. Provided the assist for the Barca equaliser, though.

  Inigo Martinez (7/10):

  Didn't exactly impress defensively, but his delightful through ball started the play that led to the Barca penalty.

  Joao Cancelo (5/10):

  Full of ideas, without necessarily executing them. Has dropped off in form after a memorable start.

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  Midfield

  Fermin Lopez (5/10):

  Another underwhelming display in the middle. Doesn't always thrive in tight spaces. Probably needs a few games out of the starting XI.

  Ilkay Gundogan (7/10):

  Gave the ball away in the run up to the Alaves opener. Arguably Barca's best player going the other way, full of ideas and execution in the final third.

  Pedri (6/10):

  Pushed around a bit in the middle, and lacking in his usual quality. Much improved as the game wore on, but needs time to get back to his best.

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  Attack

  Lamine Yamal (7/10):

  Really bright on the right side once again. Alaves applied pressure on him from the off, but he still found spaces to work here. He's a real talent.

  Robert Lewandowski (8/10):

  Scuffed the kind of shot he would usually bury in the first half. Took his header immensely well in the second. Blasted a penalty in to win it.

  Joao Felix (5/10):

  On the ball a lot, but afforded little space to work his magic. Not been at his best recently. Hasn't scored in two months, either.

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  Subs & Manager

  Raphinha (5/10):

  Brought on to add attacking quality, but rather clogged the final third.

  Ferran Torres (6/10):

  Won the penalty that ultimately decided the game.

  Alejandro Balde (5/10):

  Extra legs on the left side of the pitch.

  Oriol Romeu (5/10):

  Introduced late to see out the contest.

  Xavi (6/10):

  Benched a number of big names, including Raphinha and Balde to mark his two year anniversary in the job. His side were miserable for 50 minutes, but turned it on after. The three points are promising. The performance, less so.

West Ham United could be eyeing up a cheap Jesse Lingard alternative amid emerging reports…

What’s the word?

According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, the Irons are set to battle it out for Sassuolo attacking midfielder Filip Djuricic, with Premier League rivals Southampton also keen on signing him.

The 29-year-old has just one year to run on his current deal, so he could be available for a relatively low fee this summer transfer window. CIES Football Observatory values him at only €10m (£9m).

Cheap alternative

It’s widely thought that the permanent signing of Lingard is amongst David Moyes’ top priorities this summer, with him having enjoyed a phenomenal half-season at the London Stadium.

The Manchester United loanee bagged nine goals and provided four assists on the Hammers’ way to qualifying for a place in the Europa League. He ended the campaign as their second-highest rated player (7.22) behind Tomas Soucek (7.36), as per WhoScored.

That’s how crucial he was to their fortunes, so it’s no wonder the 58-year-old Scot wants him back.

“I hope Jesse’s here [next season], we’d like to keep him, he’s done an exceptional job for us but there’s no guarantees, he’s not our player,” claimed Moyes after the final game of the season. “I hope Jesse realises we’ve been good for him as well, and that he joined a club on the up.”
[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-the-latest-gossip-and-much-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]
Therefore, it does seem perplexing that the East Londoners would consider a move for former Premier League flop, Djuricic. Could the club’s hierarchy be eyeing up a cheaper deal to save on finances? It’s possible.
The former Saints loanee would certainly be a cheaper target than Lingard, who could command in excess of £30m after a phenomenal loan spell in the capital.
Djuricic delivered nine direct goal contributions for the Serie A outfit this campaign, where he recorded a total of 55 key passes. A total only bettered by Aaron Cresswell (58) in this current West Ham squad.
But his time on the south coast was largely forgettable, having made just nine appearances despite then-manager Ronald Koeman’s glowing endorsement.
“[He] is technical, fast. He can play in different positions in midfield. He can play on the left side, on the right side,” the Dutchman said.
Considering he’s now 29 and has suffered many underwhelming spells at teams like Benfica, Mainz, Sampdoria and Anderlecht, a move for the Serbian international just fails to make much sense whatsoever.
David Sullivan and co should be throwing money to bring Lingard back to the London Stadium, not eyeing a move for a player that has failed in the big time plenty of times before.

AND in other news, Abraham one of 4 signings: Predicted West Ham XI for 2021/22…

The midfielder was limited to a bench role at the 2022 World Cup, so how can that change during this cycle?

For the first time since Gregg Berhalter's return, Gio Reyna is back with the United States men's national team. That comes with plenty of obvious talking points centering around the pair's off-the-field relationship. Can they repair what was fixed? What will that look like? What will it take for everyone involved to move past a situation that became so ugly?

That's the off-field portion, though, and, while it is a priority, that's not the only piece of this puzzle that need's figuring out. At some point, Berhalter and Reyna will need to figure out the problem that got everyone into this mess in the first place: When the USMNT is healthy and in-form, is there a spot for Reyna in the starting XI? And, if so, where exactly?

At the World Cup, the answer to the first part of that question was 'no', and it ultimately led us down the winding path that followed. When assessing his options, Berhalter did not see Reyna as a player that should be a starter in the biggest of moments. It may not have been handled well by anyone involved, but that was the decision that was made.

Now, nearly one year later, what's changed? And, more importantly, what can change on the way to the Copa America and the next World Cup?

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  Reyna's role on the road to Qatar

  Throughout Berhalter's first tenure in charge of the USMNT, Reyna was used primarily as a winger. The Borussia Dortmund star isn't a wide player in the traditional sense, though. He's not the get-to-the-byline type, nor the type that hugs the sideline to stretch out defenses.

  No, Reyna's game saw him drift inside more than, say, Tim Weah. While Weah stretches defenses, Reyna's job was more about creating as he would drift inside and serve as a playmaker. Reyna's biggest asset is his ability to make things happen in the final third, and he's showed that plenty of times for club and country.

  However, as World Cup qualifying began last cycle, the USMNT had to go long stretches without Reyna due to injury issues. And, as the World Cup rolled around, it was soon made apparent that his role in Qatar would be a reduced one.

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  World Cup disaster

  Anyone who follows American soccer knows the story by now. Reyna, early on, was told that he wouldn't play a big role at the World Cup. He didn't take it well and, soon after, everything began to spiral. Audio was leaked, a domestic violence incident came to light, a friendship was destroyed and a national team was plunged into chaos.

  Yet, for all of the off-field chaos, it began with Berhalter's on-field decision. When assessing his roster, the coach decided what he wanted on the wings, and it didn't include Reyna. On one side was Christian Pulisic, who, let's be honest, is undroppable. On the other was Weah, whose speed and directness would give the U.S. a threat they would lack from their other two forwards. The decision paid off almost immediately, as Weah scored the opener against Wales and generally had a good tournament.

  Reyna, meanwhile, was left on the outside looking in. It was later revealed that his reaction to being benched was far from ideal. That, hopefully, is all in the past now, though, as Reyna and Berhalter work through their issues.

  What isn't in the past just yet, though, is what led to Reyna falling a bit behind in the first place: his struggles with staying healthy.

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  Fitness issues

  Reyna's biggest issue throughout the last several years has been his own body. Unfortunately for him, it's broken down on him at some of the worst possible moments.

  He missed nearly all of World Cup qualifying, although the U.S. did the business without him, and then missed chunks of the 2022-23 season with Dortmund. To start this season, Reyna was also out as he recovered from an injury suffered during the USMNT's Nations League triumph.

  They say the best ability is availability and, despite all of the ability that Reyna does possess, he hasn't been available enough. The hope is that that will change as he grows into his body, allowing him to take the next step everyone believes he can.

  But where will that next step be positionally? Well, there are a few options…

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  Multiple positions

  Reyna can play in a variety of spots on the field, and each comes with its own positives and negatives. He was pencilled in to just one of those spots, on the wing, last cycle, but according to Berhalter, that could change as this 2026 run gets underway.

  "In terms of Gio, we see him being able to play three positions: central midfielder, attacking midfielder and winger," he said. "We use wingers in different ways. Sometimes the wingers are wide against the line and sometimes they're in between the lines. We see him as more of an in-between-the-lines winger, so those are the three positions he can be utilized in."